The Old Team
by Em Kay Who
Summary: What would it have been like if Rose hadn't ended up trapped in the other universe at the end of Doomsday? Will she keep her promise of forever? Or will forces beyond their control end up separating the Doctor and Rose for good? My version of series 3 with Rose.
1. Rose's Choice

**A/N: Hello there! Well I know everyone has done a series 3 with Rose and now I guess it's my turn as well. I'm planning on putting a new twist on things and I really hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Doomsday. Credit for those lines goes to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor watched in horror as Rose let go of her magna clamp so reach the lever. He held his breath until he heard the computer announce. **"Online and locked." **Only now the suction of the Void was even stronger and he could see Rose's fingers slipping.

"Rose, hold on! Hold on!" he screamed as loud as he could.

She was trying. Oh she was trying so hard, but the pull of the Void was just too much. Rose Tyler could not hold on any longer. She tried with all of her might to keep her fingers wrapped around the lever, but the suction was too much for her. She slipped. The look on the Doctor's face was one that Rose knew would haunt her for the rest of her life. Even if that life was cut short by the Void, she thought it would probably follow her there. She kept her eyes locked on the Doctor's for as long as she could, willing him to know what she wanted to say to him so badly, _"I love you." _

She took a deep breath and finally closed her eyes. Excepting her fate as she drew nearer to the opening of the Void. But before she knew it, the wind around her died down. As she collided with the floor she heard the computer say, **"Systems closed." **

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted as he let go of his clamp and ran towards the crumpled form of his companion. "Rose, are you alright? Answer me, Rose. Please!" He looked her over, and nothing appeared to be broken but she still had her eyes closed. Finally he saw them twitch beneath her lids before opening, "You're alive!" he grinned at her.

"Can't get rid of me," Rose smiled back, weakly. "Did we win?"

On those words the Doctor frowned, "Yeah. I'm sorry, Rose. You'll never see your mother again."

Rose shrugged as the Doctor helped her sit up. "Never say never ever."

"Rose..."

"Stop it, Doctor. I made my choice. You may think I don't know what that choice means, but I do. I love my mum and yeah, I'll miss her. Everyday. But like I told you once before, 'everyone leaves home in the end.' This was my time. I understand and fully except the consequences. I'm never gonna leave you. Are you planning on leaving me?" she looked at him thoughtfully.

The Doctor grabbed her hand. "No. Not you."

"Good. Now that that's settled, let's go home."

"Home?" the Doctor asked as he helped her stand.

"The TARDIS," Rose clarified.

"Right... home," The Doctor smiled.

* * *

Once back inside the TARDIS, Rose sat gingerly on the jump seat and watched as the Doctor directed them away from Canary Wharf and into the Vortex. She knew in her heart that she had made the right decision, but she was still nervous about what this would mean for her and the Doctor.

The Doctor knew Rose was staring at him, and he had no idea what she was thinking. Part of him was thrilled she had chosen to stay with him. He had meant it when he said he would never leave her, but that didn't make the thought of losing her any easier. He was so afraid she would eventually come to regret her decision. Like it or not though, she was stuck with him. At least for the time being. And that meant that it was time to be a bit domestic. "Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"Um," he began rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "I know this might be hard and we can certainly wait for as long as you'd like, but we should probably head back to the Powell Estate and tie up some loose ends."

She inhaled sharply. "Oh. I... I hadn't thought of that. Course though... we really should do that." She hopped off her seat. "Right then! No time like the present!" She said with false cheer.

The Doctor knew she was faking her smile but chose not to say anything and instead decided to play along, "Rose! We're in a time machine. Anytime is the present!"

"I would really just like to get it done. Please?" she asked quietly.

The Doctor nodded and set the coordinates for her's and Jackie's flat. He decided to park inside so they would have to carry anything to far. "Right then, here we are. Three days after the battle," he said once they landed.

Rose took a deep breath before exiting the ship. Never before had her flat felt so empty. It's not like Rose had never been there without her mum. Obviously she had been alone there countless times. But somehow, knowing that Jackie Tyler will never step foot inside that front door, or go into the kitchen to make her nightly cup of tea again, made everything about the place feel _wrong._ Rose shivered slightly and was immediately grateful when the Doctor slipped his hand in her's.

"Alright?" he asked.

Rose nodded her head. "S' just strange, that's all. I don't even know where to begin."

"Do you want to keep the flat?"

"Seems kind of silly to keep it if it'll just stay empty... but still..."

"Tell you what, why don't I go get us some chips, while you think about what you want to do. Alright?"

Rose smiled. "Sounds great. I didn't even realize I was hungry!"

* * *

When the Doctor returned an hour later, he was in a much more somber mood then when he left. But Rose didn't notice at first and jumped up to greet him. "I was thinking about it, Doctor, there really is no point in me keeping this place. My home is with you on the TAR...DIS..." she faded out as she saw the look on his face.

"I stopped on the way to getting chips," he told her quietly as she sat back down, "I found out that you, your mum, and Mickey were all on the list of the dead. I reported that you had been found so you're now listed as alive, but I didn't know what to do about Jackie and Mickey," he placed the food down and sat next to her on the couch. "I'm so sorry, Rose. If you want we'll go and take them off right now. We'll say they've gone on an extended holiday or something like that."

Rose just shook her head. "No. Cause then people will expect to hear from them, friends, the little family we have, they'll never believe mum just up and left. And eventually Mickey's friends will ask about him too. It's probably best to leave them on the list."

"Are you sure, Rose?" he moved to sit closer.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Yeah."

"Right then. So you don't want to keep the flat either?"

"No. My home is the TARDIS now."

The Doctor smiled and rested his head on top of her's. "For as long as you want it to be."

"For forever," Rose corrected.

The Doctor just nodded his head in agreement. He knew she meant it now, but what about 10 years from now when she wanted to settle down in a proper house, with carpets and mortgages and a husband and kids. That's the one adventure he could never have. He could give her all of time and space but he couldn't give her that.

* * *

The next week passed in a blur as Rose sorted through her's and her mum's belongings, deciding what should be kept, donated, or trashed. Thankfully, the Doctor remained by her side the entire time which surprised Rose a bit. She would have that he would have gone spare, finding the whole situation a bit too "domestic." She knew he was concerned about her though. She might not be as brilliant as the Doctor, but she wasn't completely thick. He was constantly watching her, waiting for her to crumble. It was almost like he wanted her to have a break down. But Rose had promised herself that she would remain strong and would not cry. She chose this life. She chose to stay with him and she would not make him feel guilty with her tears.

Of course it didn't help that a couple of days later Mo and Bev showed up and insisted on having a funeral for both Jackie and Mickey. Rose agreed as long as she didn't have to plan it, however she did insist on saying a few words. She didn't want some random person up there sobbing away cause they thought her mum and Mickey were dead. They are not dead.

* * *

The Doctor was worried about Rose. He had not seen her shed a single tear. He tried talking to her about it but she would always change the subject. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to put on a brave face for him so he wouldn't feel guilty. The fact that she felt such a strong need to protect him made him feel even guiltier though. And now they were sitting in the front pew of a little chapel at a funeral for Jackie and Mickey, and all Rose could do was stare ahead stoically.

Rose hated this. All she wanted to do was go home. Home to the TARDIS. She wanted to tell all these people that they were crying for no reason. And now she had to sit in a stuffy chapel, wearing stuffy black and white dress while everyone frowned at her for not being more emotional.

"And now let us invite Rose Tyler up, who would like to say a few words about her mother Jackie Tyler and friend, Michael Smith," the reverend said, gesturing to Rose.

With a gentle squeeze to the Doctor's hand, Rose picked up her notes on what she wanted to say, walked to the front, and addressed the crowd. "Mickey Smith was my best friend. I've known him my entire life. We went through everything together. Life... death... dating," she paused to smile at the small chuckle she heard from her friends from her youth, "He got me through some really tough times. He was always there for me, even when I wasn't for him. The last time I saw him, I got to see what an amazing and brave man he turned out to be. He was absolutely brilliant. No longer the tin dog. I was lucky to have him in my life and I will miss him every day." Rose stopped to flip over her paper and then began reading, "My mum," she cleared her throat, "My mum is... was... um..."

It was hitting her, the Doctor realized. Her mum was really gone and it was just now hitting her. Her hands were shaking and he could see her blinking, trying to clear the tears out of her eyes so she could read her notes. He saw her look up and make eye contact and he knew that look. Her whispers from their previous Christmas echoed through his mind. _"Help me."_

The Doctor stood and lead her back to the pew before taking her place in the front of the chapel. He quickly scanned her notes before speaking, "Jackie Tyler. The first time I met her was _interesting _to say the least. The second time I saw her, she slapped me," he paused as the entire chapel burst into laughter, "And the last time I saw her she kissed me," once again the chapel erupted in laughs, "She was tough as nails. She was strong and independent and wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She raised the most wonderful, fantastic, and beautiful daughter. All by herself. And twice she helped save the world. Once with a big yellow truck and the other time with her tea. Now that might seem like nonsense to you, but it's the truth. Jackie Tyler, defender of Earth. And I know wherever she is right now, she's probably sitting with Pete and Mickey, force feeding them her shepherd's pie and nattering on about the latest gossip she heard about you lot. Wherever she is," he stopped to look at Rose, "I'm sure she is very happy. And very proud of her Rose."

* * *

As the service was ending Rose leaned in to whisper to the Doctor, "Everyone's gonna want to talk to me Doctor. I... can't do it. Please, can we sneak out?"

The Doctor nodded his head in agreement. "See that side door over there? When everyone stands up quickly slip through there." The Doctor's plan worked and fifteen minutes they were safely back in her now empty flat at the Powell Estate.

"Well that's everything. Ready?" Rose asked as she entered the TARDIS.

"Are you sure you don't want to stop by the reception, Rose?"

"I'm sure... I just can't. I can't, Doctor. My mum isn't dead and I just want to shout it at everyone!" Rose proclaimed as she fell to her knees and finally, _finally_ began to cry. "I must be the most horrible daughter ever! I just left her! I left her and I'll never see her again but I don't regret the decision I made! That must make me the worst daughter ever. You said she would be proud but she must be so upset with me!"

The Doctor quickly made his way to her and scooped her up, so she could cry against his chest. "You are not horrible, Rose Tyler. Do you understand me? You are so brilliant. These emotions you're showing, only prove that to me even more. I promise you, Rose, Jackie is not upset with you. I'm sure she misses you too but I know how proud she is of you and how much she loves you." Rose had no response as she continued to cry. It was thirty minutes later, when a final shudder ran through her, that he realized that she had fallen asleep. As quietly as he could, he stood and carried her to her room.

After he gently laid her on her bed, he slipped off the black flats she had been wearing. He felt bad that she had to sleep in the black and white dress she had worn to the funeral, but felt that the act of undressing her was a bit too intimate for him. He didn't have much self control when he was around Rose and if she were to wake during the process of undressing, she might see the evidence of his lack of control... And wouldn't _that_ be embarrassing.

As he made his way back to the control room, he started thinking about Jackie. He hoped she was happy and that Pete had been open to her. She deserved the best, Jackie Tyler. And there's something he never thought he would hear himself say! But it was true. They may have had there differences at times but the Doctor couldn't help but admire that loud, brash woman. He wished he could give Rose the chance to say a proper goodbye... but what if he could? Surely there had to be some cracks left in the universe. They couldn't have all sealed yet... if he could just find the right one, he might be able to give Rose her chance!

* * *

An hour later he raced back into Rose's room and was shaking her awake. He felt guilty that she hadn't got that much sleep but he needed her up and about as soon as possible. The crack he found wasn't very large and wouldn't last long at all. "Rose! Rose! Come on!"

"Wha?... What's wrong?" she said as she tried to blink the sleep away.

"Nothing's wrong, Rose, but I need you to wake up and get ready. I found a way you could talk to your mum one last time. But the opportunity won't last long so meet me in the control room in fifteen minutes!" With that he ran back out of the room.

Rose didn't even have time to think about what he meant. How in the world would she get a message across the Void? She grimaced as she look in the mirror. There was no time for a shower, but she was able to wash her face and apply some makeup. She looked in her wardrobe for something to wear. Hanging at the front, was a very dark blue, leather jacket. It reminded Rose of her first Doctor's jacket. His armor, she used to call it. Maybe the TARDIS realized that today she would need some armor of her own. At that thought, Rose heard a gentle hum in the back of her mind. _Thanks, _Rose whispered back mentally.

* * *

As Rose made her way into the control room, she found the Doctor sitting in the jump seat with his eyes closed. "You alright, Doctor?"

He opened his eyes and smiled. "Oh yes! Just calling your mother."

"You were what?"

"Calling to her. You're going to be able to see and hear her but you can't touch. You'll just be an image and you'll only have a few minutes. I'm sorry.

"Don't be sorry, Doctor." Rose hugged him, "This is more than I thought possible."

The Doctor moved out of their embrace and placed her next to the console, "Here stand right there and you should see her right about... now."

Suddenly they were on a beach. Rose knew that were still in the TARDIS. She could hear the ship's hum all around her but instead of the control room, Rose could only see a dreary beach, with her mum walking towards her. Rose quickly grasped the Doctor's hand and whispered, "Stay with me."

"Rose? Doctor? Where are you?" Jackie called frantically as she moved closer to them.

"We're in the TARDIS, mum." Rose told her with a sad smile.

"There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection, we're in orbit around a super nova," the Doctor explained further, "burning up a sun just to say goodbye." Rose grasped his hand tighter when she heard him. He hadn't told her that part.

Jackie shook her head as a few tears fell. "You look like a ghost."

"Hold on..." The Doctor pulled out his screwdriver to make their projections stronger.

Jackie turned to Rose when she appeared fully. "Can I hug you?"

"I'm still just image. No touching."

"Well can't you come through properly?" her mother practically shouted.

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse," the Doctor supplied for Rose.

"Well who cares about that?" Jackie replied, only half joking.

Rose observed their surroundings. "Where are we, mum?"

"Bloody Norway! That's where."

The Doctor shrugged. "Norway... right..."

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called 'Dårlig Ulv Stranden'."

"Dalek?!" Rose and the Doctor exclaimed together.

"Dårl-IG. It's Norwegian for 'bad'. Apparently it translates as Bad Wolf Bay." Jackie informed the shocked pair.

"We've only got a couple more minutes, mum, and I can't think of what to say!" Rose told her, finally letting her own tears fall.

Jackie laughed, "Me neither!"

The Doctor finally noticed that standing at the jeep parked behind Jackie, was Mickey and Pete. "You've still got Mr. Mickey then? And Pete?"

Jackie nodded and smiled at Rose. "There's four of us now. Me, your dad, Mickey... and the baby."

Rose gasped at Jackie's revelation. "Oh my god, mum! You're pregnant?!"

"Yep. Three months gone. More Tylers on the way! Pete and I got 'remarried' right after I got here. Oh I wanted you there so bad, sweetheart."

"I wish I could have been there too. I had to go to your funeral, mum. Your's and Mickey's."

Jackie looked at the Doctor as he provided an explanation, "You're dead, officially, back home. So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on a list of the dead. I'm sorry, Jackie. But look at you! Here you are living a life day after day. That's brilliant."

"And what about you, two? Will we able to do this again? Will I ever see you again?" Jackie hugged herself tighter as she and Rose both began to sob.

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm so sorry," was all the he could say.

"What are you gonna do, Rose?"

"I've got the Doctor and the TARDIS. But I'll always remember you! I'll always be Rose Tyler. I swear!" Rose promised, remembering the conversation she had with her mother before they ended up at Torchwood.

"I know you will be, sweetheart!" Jackie reassured her daughter, "And you, Doctor, take care of my little girl... and yourself."

"I will, Jackie. I promise," he told her solemnly. He could feel gap closing and squeezed Rose's hand to let her know.

Rose got his message and quickly said, "I love you, mum! I love you so much!"

"I love you too, Rose!" was the last thing she heard. When Rose blinked they were back in the control room.

The Doctor hugged Rose close as she openly let her tears fall. After he helped her up onto the jump seat, he turned to move them out of orbit, it was then he noticed there was someone with them in the TARDIS and by the looks of the human figure, it was a woman. "What?!" he exclaimed loudly.

The woman turned and screamed as the Doctor realized the woman was dressed as a bride, "What?!"

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"But-"

"Where am I?" she said a little louder.

"What's going on, Doctor?" Rose asked as she peered around the console.

Finally the bride yelled out, "What the hell is this place!?"

Rose could only stare in silence as the Doctor once again yelled, "What?!"

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Runaway Bride.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	2. The Runaway Bride Part 1

**A/N: Hello! Thank you so much to my followers, those who have favorited, and of course, those who have left such wonderful reviews for this new story! Quick note: For those who may be concerned that I'm pretty much following the storyline from the show, just know that big changes are coming! I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are from the episode Runaway Bride. Credit for those goes to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor stared at the woman in shock. This was impossible. Utterly impossible. "You can't do that! I wasn't... We're in flight. That is, that is physically impossible! How did-"

The woman cut him off, " Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now! Where am I?"

The Doctor just continued to stare at the woman in disbelief so Rose spoke up to answer her question, "You're inside the TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS," the Doctor growled as he began flicking switches and checking the monitor.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS."

"The what!?"

Looking like he was about to shout at her, Rose beat the Doctor to answering. "It's called the TARDIS and it's-"

The woman gaped at them. "That's not even a proper word. You're just saying things."

The more Rose stared at the woman, the more she began to feel queasy. She probably just needed to eat. It had been several hours since she had anything, and even then it was just a couple of biscuits before the funeral. Rose sat back on the jump seat and began taking deep breaths. This was shaping up to be on of her worst days ever. First her mother and Mickey's funeral, then having to say her final goodbye, which while it was wonderful, it was heartbreaking as well, and now on top of all that some strange woman, dressed as a bride beamed her way into the TARDIS. Couldn't they just have one relaxing evening?

The Doctor finally turned to the ginger woman. "How did you get in here?"

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me. Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

"Who the hell is Nerys?" the Doctor questioned, while Rose held in a chuckle. Of course that would be what he would focus on. Not the accusation of kidnapping.

"Your best friend," the ginger snapped back.

"Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?" he asked before he heard Rose groan in frustration behind him.

"I'm going ten pin bowling. Why do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!"

Rose wanted to jump up to defend the Doctor from this fiery red head, but as the woman continued to shout another wave of nausea rolled through her. Rose clamped her hand over her mouth and maneuvered so she was laying down on the seat.

"I haven't done anything!"

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!" With that the woman turned and ran down the ramp for the front doors.

The Doctor realized what she was about to do and yelled after her, "No, wait a minute. Wait a minute! Don't!" But it was too late. She gasped as she took in the sight of a nebula swirling around the TARDIS. "You're in space," the Doctor explained to her gently, "Outer space. This is my space ship. It's called the TARDIS."

"How am I breathing?" she asked quietly.

"The TARDIS is protecting us." The Doctor stuck with the simple answer.

The woman just continued to stare into space, quite literally, before finally asking once more, "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. You?"

"Donna."

"Human?"

"Yeah, is that optional?" Donna rolled her eyes.

The Doctor just shrugged. "Well, it is for me."

"You're an alien? And what about blondie?"

"Yes I am. Blondie has a name," the Doctor told her sternly, "It's Rose. And she's human like you."

Donna wasn't sure how to respond as she shivered. Apparently space is a bit drafty. "It's freezing with these doors open."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and slammed the door shut. Right. Time to figure this mystery out. "I don't understand that and I understand everything. This this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be-" the Doctor paused to find his ophthalmoscope, before shining it in Donna's eyes. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-" WHACK. The Doctor was cut off by Donna slapping him across the face.

At the sound of Donna's palm colliding with the Doctor's cheek, Rose opened her eyes and saw the Doctor cradling his face. "What was that for?" he yelled.

"Get me to the church!" Donna demanded of him.

"Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway! Where is this wedding?"

Donna followed him as he made his was around the console. "Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System!" she paused to see Rose curled up on the jump seat, clutching her stomach. "I knew it! Acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? What's wrong with her? What have you done to her? You planning on poisoning me too?!"

The Doctor's hearts leaped into his throat at the sight of Rose. "I haven't done anything." He kneeled down in front of her, "Rose? What's wrong?"

"Don't feel so good." She sniffled slightly.

"Probably just exhausted. Let me get Donna back to Earth and then I'll make you some soup and get you to bed," he told her as he gently tucked some strands of hair behind her ear and then stood back up. "Right, Chiswick."

* * *

"I said, Saint Mary's. What sort of Martian are you? Where's this?" Donna said when the TARDIS finally landed and she made her way outside.

The TARDIS wasn't acting right. Which wasn't completely unusual but this was different. The Doctor began stroking her paneled side, trying to telepathically figure out what was causing the distress. "Something's wrong with her. The TARDIS, it's like she's-"

"Doctor..." Rose mumbled as her stomach began churning.

But he didn't hear her. "Recalibrating! She's digesting. What is it? What have you eaten? What's wrong? Donna? You've really got to think. Is there anything that might've caused this?" But Donna wasn't paying any attention to his rambling. She, instead, kept circling the ship she had just occupied. It was a blue box. But... but.. she was inside and it was huge! From inside the Doctor continued to question her, "Anything you might've done? Any sort of alien contacts? I can't let you go wandering off. What if you're dangerous. I mean, have you, have you seen lights in the sky, or did you touch something like something, something different, something strange? Or something made out of a, box of metal or. Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he? Donna!"

"She's outside, Doctor. I think she's getting a bit overwhelmed," Rose told him as she resisted the urge to dry heave.

"Right, you are. Stay here! No wandering off. I'm going to try and figure all this out but you're in no shape to run after me."

She just gave a small smile. "Me wander off? Couldn't if I wanted to."

"Ha! Like I'll fall for that. Be back in a bit!" he shouted as he ran outside to find Donna.

Rose just watched him go. He was right, normally she wouldn't let a little sickness get in her way of an adventure but this was different. This was like something she's never felt before. The TARDIS hummed sympathetically in her mind as a cold wet flannel suddenly appeared beside her. "Thanks, love." Rose patted the coral strut closest to her and realized the TARDIS, which was always cool to touch, felt unusually warm. "Are you alright? The Doctor's concerned about you and now I am too." Rose promptly took the flannel off her neck, where she had place it moments ago, and began gently stroking the coral. "Does this help you?" Rose asked aloud, but the TARDIS never got to respond because right at the moment the Doctor burst back in the control room.

"Pilot fish! Rose, remember the robot santas from last Christmas? Well they're back and apparently after Donna," he told her as he began flicking switches, preparing the TARDIS for flight.

"Oh my god." Rose looked at him in horror.

"Yep! Are you feeling any better? Cause I'm going to need your help."

"What do you need me to do?" she asked as she stood and slowly made her way next to him.

The Doctor explained while he continued to work on the console, "I'll need you to help me fly the TARDIS. Donna got in a cab with a robot santa driving. We're going to fly the TARDIS next to the vehicle and I'm going to need to help catch her when she jumps. I'll need you up here navigating."

"Are you serious? Doctor, I think something's wrong with the TARDIS. Are you sure she can do this?"

"Behave!" he shouted as he hit the one of the controls with his mallet. "I know. And I'm working on what's wrong with her but we've got to do this, those pilot fish want something from Donna and whatever it is, is bad." He looked at her and took in how pale and clammy she looked. "After this Rose, I swear I'll take you wherever you want. Beaches, shopping, wherever, whenever. Name it and we're there."

"I'll hold you to that, mister." Rose gave a weak smile, "Now show me what to do."

After a brief explanation, the Doctor was at the doors, going back and forth with Donna. "You've got to jump!"

"I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!" Donna yelled back as the cab suddenly accelerated forward.

"Rose! They're getting away. Push her forwards!"

Rose tried to remember the directions the Doctor had given her, but her head had started pounding as soon as they were in flight, making it extremely hard to concentrate. After pulling down one of the levers, Rose was met with a shower of sparks. She winced as she felt the TARDIS collide with the rooftop of another car.

Thankfully, though they had caught up to Donna. "Listen to me. You've got to jump," the Doctor instructed.

"I'm not jumping on a motorway." The ginger shot back.

_Blimey this woman is difficult,_ Rose thought to herself as she heard the Doctor losing his own patience. "Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes, you look lovely! Come on!"

Rose could see over the Doctor's shoulder that Donna had finally opened the door, but was clearly still frightened. "I can't do it."

"Trust me." The Doctor extended his hand towards here.

"Is that what you said to her?" Donna nodded towards the blonde behind the him, "Your friend? She looks awful. Does she trust you?"

Rose suddenly appeared next to the Doctor. "Yes, Donna. I do. I believe in him and I trust him with my life. Now jump!" And finally, after hearing the truth and conviction in Rose's voice, Donna leaped into the TARDIS.. The three landed in a heap on the ramp as the doors to the TARDIS shut and Doctor quickly pushed his way out from under Donna.

Rose stayed curled up on the ramp, eyes kept firmly shut. The nausea wasn't as bad as before but now she had a splitting headache. A steady drumming rhythm echoing through her mind, _thump thump thump thump. _The Doctor quickly landed the TARDIS on a rooftop, just as smoke began pouring out of the console. "Donna, Rose, get outside!" the Doctor shouted to them as he pulled out a fire extinguisher.

* * *

"Are you alright? No offense, but you're kind of a mess." Donna asked once she and Rose had got out.

Rose gave a humorless chuckle. "It's been a long day."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You're telling me!"

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours," the Doctor told them after he was done clearing the TARDIS out. "You all right?" he directed towards Donna.

"Doesn't matter," she shrugged.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked gently.

"Yeah."

"You can always book another date..." Rose supplied half heartedly, knowing it wouldn't be the same.

"Course we can."

The Doctor smiled at her. "You've still got the honeymoon."

Donna sighed. "It's just a holiday now."

"We're really very sorry, Donna." Rose reached over and squeezed her hand.

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry," the Doctor told her as well after a pointed look from his companion.

"It's not your fault," The other woman conceded.

"Oh?" The Doctor gave a slight laugh. "That's a change."

Donna smirked. "Wish you had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right."

"Yeah, yeah. But even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently," the Doctor added after Rose elbowed him.

"How are you doing?" The Doctor asked Rose after Donna had moved to sit on the edge of the rooftop.

"M' alright. My head though is killing me."

Her words sent a shiver the his spine. "I'm sorry. It's a bit chilly up here. Is that jacket warm enough?"

"You like it?" She held her arm out so he could inspect the dark blue leather. "The TARDIS gave it to me earlier."

"It's nice. Bit familiar?" He raised an eyebrow. Rose just giggled as the Doctor led them to the edge of the roof, placing himself between the two ladies. As he sat, he noticed Donna shivering and placed his own jacket over her shoulders.

"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat," the ginger said to him as she adjusted the brown suit jacket.

Showing true control, in Rose's opinion, the Doctor ignored her statement and instead pulled a ring out of his pocket. "Oh and you'd better put this on."

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna asked at the same time Rose whispered, "Rude, Doctor."

"Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden," the Doctor explained as he took Donna's hand and placed the ring on her finger, "With this ring, I thee bio-damp."

Rose let out a small laugh before resting her head on the Doctor's shoulder and whimpering. Donna watched as the Doctor gently took the blonde woman's hand and began rubbing the skin between thumb and forefinger. "I'm sorry, this might hurt a bit but there's a pressure point here that will help ease the tension from your headache," the man told Rose quietly.

"For better or for worse," Donna said, still staring at the two, "So, come on then. Robot santas, what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo scavenger. The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas," the Doctor told her.

Donna looked confused. "Why, what happened then?"

"Great big spaceship hovering over London? You didn't notice?"

"I had a bit of a hangover."

"Sounds like my mum," Rose lifted her head from the Doctor's shoulder and pointed, "We spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with my family." She smiled nostalgically, "Well, they were...my family. Still...gone now I suppose." Her voice was thick with emotion as she laid her head back on the Doctor's shoulder.

Donna eyed the pair carefully. "Why? What happened to them?"

The Doctor could feel Rose's unease and decided to change the subject back to the matter at hand. "Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know. What's your job?" he asked as he reached over Donna to pull the sonic screwdriver out of his suit pocket.

"I'm a secretary," she responded as the Doctor began to run the sonic over her.

"It's weird." The Doctor burrowed his brows. "I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important."

"Doctor!" Rose admonished, "Don't listen to him, Donna. He gets like this when he's a bit stressed and he says stuff he doesn't mean."

"Let me ask you a question then, Rose, have you ever wanted to just punch him in the face? Stop bleeping me!" Donna scolded him, hitting the sonic away from her.

Seeing the Doctor's aggravation with the situation, Rose tried to get more information, "What kind of secretary are you?"

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping," Donna began to explain, "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought I'm never going to fit in here. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a Lance, he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him. One cup of coffee. That was it." She smiled.

Rose responded with her own kind grin. "When was all this?"

"Six months ago."

The Doctor made a face. "Bit quick to get married."

"Well, he insisted," Donna supplied. "And he nagged, and he nagged me." Rose giggled as the Doctor dramatically rolled his eyes at her, but Donna paid them no mind. "And he just wore me down. And then finally, I just gave in."

"What does HC Clements do?" the Doctor asked trying to steer the conversation away from the domestics.

"Oh, security systems. You know, entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths."

"Keys." The Doctor frowned.

"Anyway, enough of my CV. Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy." She glared at the man next to her.

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars." the Doctor retorted as he stood and helped Rose and Donna both up.

"He's really not, you know," Rose said to Donna. "Come on, I bet your family will be thrilled to see you safe and sound."

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken!"

* * *

Rose watched in amusement as Donna and her fiance danced with careless abandon. It had been quite a shock to Donna, when they arrived, that the group decided to carry on and have the reception without her. "I'll tell ya one thing, if I had gone missing from my wedding, my mum would never had been carrying on and partying."

The Doctor laughed. "Now that's true. Jackie would have had the whole of Scotland Yard out searching for you."

"Poor, Donna. I mean, I know she seems happy now but, it's like they didn't even care." Rose shook her head in disbelief. "No one seemed to be that worried about her. Not till she started to fake those tears."

"Different people. Different life. Her mother does seem pretty rough around the edges," he stated.

"We haven't danced in forever," Rose sighed as she watched a couple twirl around the dance floor, "If I wasn't afraid of vomiting all over your trainers, I'd make you take me out for a spin."

"Tell you what, I'll owe you one when you're feeling better." He gave her a cheeky wink.

She grinned at him. "I'll just add it to the list then."

"Oi!" he jested as he pulled her in for a hug. "Really though, are you feeling any better?"

"I'm fine, Doctor. Let's just get this situation with Donna sorted out and then I seem to remember a certain Time Lord promising beaches and shopping?"

"That I did. Tell you what though, we're not gonna figure this out just standing around. Have you got your mobile on you?"

"Yeah, here ya go." Rose pulled her phone out of her back pocket and handed it to him. She watched as the Doctor searched for HC Clements. What popped up on the screen next made her gasp.

**H.C. Clements**

**Sole Prop.**

**TORCHWOOD.**

"No. No. No. No. Torchwood was destroyed! Does this mean they're after us instead of Donna?" Rose looked at the Doctor frantically.

"It was destroyed. I think this is just what's left over." The Doctor reached for her hand, "And to answer your question, no. I genuinely don't think this has anything to do with us. But I still don't understand why they want her..."

"Doctor, look." Rose nodded across the dance floor to the cameraman, "Wonder if he caught anything unusual."

The Doctor smiled down at her lovingly. "Rose Tyler, what would I do without you?"

"You'd be just fine, Doctor. You don't need me." She nudged him playfully.

"That's where you're very wrong." he said, his voice turning serious, as he led her across the room towards the cameraman. "Hello there, I was late for the ceremony, feel awful about it and all, and I was just wondering if you happened to catch what happened to the bride?"

"Oh, I taped the whole thing," the man told them. "They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the news. Here we are."

He turned the camera on and the Doctor and Rose watched as Donna walked down the aisle. Halfway there though she began screaming and was surrounded by a gold dust before disappearing. "Can't be. Play it again?" the Doctor asked the man and watched what happened to Donna once more.

"Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." The man told Rose, expecting her to find it as amusing as him.

"Do you honestly find this funny? She literally disappeared in the middle of her wedding and you what? Thought it was all a big joke? Don't be stupid," Rose snapped at the man. She knew she was overreacting a bit but she honestly couldn't help it. Something about seeing what happened to Donna began to make her head pound again. "Do you know what happened to her, Doctor?"

"It looks like Huon Particles." The Doctor took his glasses off and began to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"What's that then? It looks sort of familiar..." Rose stared at the frozen image on the screen. Somewhere in the back of her mind she could swear she heard singing.

"That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years. So old that-" the Doctor stopped and look over at where Donna was dancing, "it can't be hidden by a biodamper!" He yelled as he took off running and made his way outside. Rose tried following him but didn't make it very far before he was running back in the room. "Donna!" he shouted, running towards the bride. "Donna, they've found you."

"But you said I was safe," she replied.

"The bio-damper doesn't work. We've got to get everyone out." He looked at both Donna and Rose.

"Back door!" Rose shouted as she reached for the Doctor's hand. But by the time they made it there, the santa robots were already upon them.

"Maybe not." The Doctor closed the french windows.

"We're trapped," Donna whispered in horror. She and the Doctor both watched as one of the santas lifted a remote control."

"Doctor!" Rose screamed as she ran towards the Christmas tree. "Get away from the tree!" She began ushering the children away.

"What's wrong with Christmas trees?!" Donna shrieked.

"They kill. Stay away from the tree!" He ran over and began helping Rose.

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot." Donna's mother fussed. "Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to. Oh-" Just then the plastic baubles began floating off the tree and whirring through the air.

Just as Rose was about to ask what was happening and baubles began flinging around and exploding. Everyone was in utter chaos and scrambling around. Donna went running to hide under a table with Lance while the Doctor kept Rose next to him and hid her by the sound booth. "Stay down and cover your ears," he shouted at her. She did as she was told and watched as stood in front of a row of the robot santas. "Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver," he twirled the microphone in his hand before speaking into it, "don't let him near the sound system."

He plunged the screwdriver into the desk and the resulting harmonics caused the robots to shake to pieces. After it was all over he smiled proudly. "What do you think of that, Rose? Pretty quick thinking on my part, I must say," he preened before noticing she wasn't responding. "Rose?... Rose!" He fell to his knees and stared in horror as blood began trickling from her nose.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Runaway Bride Part 2.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	3. The Runaway Bride Part 2

**A/N: So sorry for the delay in updates! I had planned up posting this a few days ago but right before I got on the computar, we had a huge power outage that messed up our internet for a couple days (And updating from my ipad is super difficult). Many thanks though to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed! I hope you all like this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines belowed are borrowed from the episode Runaway Bride. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Rose slowly opened her eyes and was met with the sight a frantic looking Time Lord. "I'm fine, Doctor. I'm fine."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and helped her sit up. "You're not fine, Rose. You're bleeding," he spat out. His hands began shaking as he scanned her with the sonic. What was the matter with him? Oh never mind, he knew the answer. He had almost lost her so many times in the past few months, now all he wanted to do was bundle her up in the TARDIS and set them to drift in the Vortex where she would be safe and sound.

Sensing his distress, Rose reached over to place her hand on his. "Honestly, Doctor, I'm okay. It's just a little nose bleed. Mum says I used to get them all the time as a kid." She excepted the handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket and began to clean the blood off her face. "Help me up so we can sort out this mess, yeah?"

The Doctor wasn't entirely convinced she was as fine as she was saying, but the sounds of frantic wedding guests met his ears, and the Doctor knew this adventure was far from over. "Alright, but try to be careful... Please," he added as he helped her stand. Rose gave a brief nod and followed him towards the broken santas. "Look at that." He picked up one of the broken heads and a controller. "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

Donna came to stand beside Rose. "Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt."

"Nah, they wanted you alive. Look," he tossed her one of the baubles off the tree, "they're not active now."

"All the same, you could help," she said looking to Rose for back up.

The Doctor held the robot head to his ear. "Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!" and with that he took off running. Rose sent Donna an apologetic look before following after the Doctor.

"That was rude, Doctor!" Rose told him after that made it outside.

"What was?" He frowned as her dug his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket.

"I know we need to figure this mess out, but Donna doesn't understand. Her friends and family have been hurt and in her mind you're a doctor, she just wants them to be okay."

"I don't exactly have time to explain who I am in detail to her right now, Rose." He began sonicing the head as Donna caught up with them. "There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms."

"But why is it me? What have I done?" Donna asked.

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out." He pointed the screwdriver at the sky, "Ooo! It's up there. Something in the sky."

"What is it? Is it the Sycorax again?" She knew that the Sycorax that had been there last Christmas, was destroyed. But perhaps this is a new bunch.

"No. Not this time. Different signal." He turned to Rose. "Stay here and keep and eye on Donna, I'm going to see how far this signal traces."

* * *

"So how long have you two been together?" Donna asked Rose, who was watching the Doctor walk away.

"Oh we're not together." Rose blushed. "We're just...mates. Best mates."

Donna began laughing. "Yeah right! Pull the other one, space girl, it's got bells on it!"

"We're just friends."

"You ain't foolin' me."

"Donna, seriously. We're not like that," Rose replied firmly.

The ginger woman looked at her skeptically, "But I've seen the way you two look at each other. You're honestly telling me you don't want there to be more?"

"I never said that... but it doesn't matter... it's not the way things work with us. And that's fine," she shrugged, "really truly...fine"

"Who you trying to convince, love? Me or yourself?" Donna asked as her fiance came to stand by them.

A few moments later the Doctor came running up. "I've lost the signal. Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." He turned to the other man. "Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give me a lift?"

* * *

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," the Doctor explained as they all ran inside the office building.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

Rose answered as the Doctor began searching the computers, "They were the reason for the battle of Canary Wharf." Seeing Donna's confused face she explained further, "Cyberman invasion?... Skies over London, full of Daleks?"

"Oh, I was in Spain."

The Doctor looked up. "They had Cybermen in Spain."

"Scuba diving?"

"That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He ran to another computer. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."

Donna moved next to him. "But what do they want with me?"

He stood up straight and faced her. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened." He was met with silence.

"Um, Doctor, is there an easier way to explain?" Rose asked gently.

He sighed and picked up a coffee mug. "Say, that's the TARDIS." He then picked up a pencil, "And that's you. The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetized and whap." He began shaking both objects before finally dropping the pencil inside the mug, "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

Donna blinked. "I'm a pencil inside a mug?"

"Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance?" He asked as he moved to scan another monitor. "What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?"

Lance followed him. "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

The Doctor finally got a screen to work and found a layout of the building. "They make keys, that's the point. And look at this. We're on the third floor." He grabbed Rose's hand and led her to the lift. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes? Then how come when you look on the lift," he and Rose entered, "there's a button marked lower basement? There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

"Better not be Cassandra and Chip," Rose muttered under her breath.

Lance looked at them shocked. "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?"

"No, I'm showing you this building's got a secret floor," the Doctor responded.

"It needs a key," Donna told them.

"I don't." He began to sonic the lift button labeled **LB**. "Right then. Thanks, you two. Rose and I can handle this. See you later."

"No chance, Martian!" The other woman entered the lift. "You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight."

"Going down."

"Lance?" Donna called to her groom before the doors could close.

He shook his head. "Maybe I should go to the police..."

"Inside," she demanded.

"To honour and obey?" the Doctor questioned when the man followed his orders.

"Tell me about it, mate," he replied.

"Oi!" Donna shouted out, causing Rose to giggle before a fresh wave of dizziness fell over her.

* * *

They found themselves in some sort of damp tunnel, lit by an eery green light. The musty smell of the tunnel was enough to make Rose gag. "Where are we?" Donna questioned when the all stepped out of the lift. "Well, what goes on down here?"

The Doctor looked around. "Let's find out."

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?" she asked him.

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it. Oh, look," the Doctor grinned, "transport." He walked towards the three segways parked against the wall.

"Oh look there's only three." Lance shuffled nervously. "I guess I'll just have to wait here."

"Don't be silly!" the Doctor exclaimed as he climbed on one. "Rose and I can share." He turned and reached his hand out to his companion. "You goin' my way, doll?"

Rose began to laugh and momentarily forgot how horrible she was feeling. "Is there any other way to go Daddy-o?"

"Ah you remembered!" He grinned as she climbed on and scooted in front of him.

She peaked over her shoulder. "How could I forget?"

"When you two are done flirtin', just let me know," Donna called out to the now embarrassed pair. "Honestly. 'Just mates' my foot," she said to herself.

* * *

The four people rode the segways through the tunnel until they arrived at a bulkhead door with a sign reading, **Torchwood. Authorised personnel only. **The Doctor began turning the wheel to open the door and found a ladder leading up on the other side. "Wait here." He pointed at all of them. "Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything."

"You'd better come back," Donna told him.

"I couldn't get rid of you if I tried. Besides, couldn't leave Rose behind now could I?" He winked at the ladies and began to climb up.

Rose smiled back before going to lean against the wall. She could hear Lance arguing with Donna about what they were gonna do but Rose wasn't paying them any attention. One reason being, she found him to be a complete git. What Donna saw in him, she had no idea. The other reason being an odd buzzing in the back of her mind. Before she could dwell on it anymore though the Doctor bounced down off the ladder.

"Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

Donna looked surprised. "What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?!"

"I know!" The Doctor shared a grin with Rose. "Unheard of."

They followed the Doctor through the tunnel and ended up finding themselves in a laboratory filled with various pipes and tubes, all bubbling with some sort of liquid. "Oo, look at this. Stunning!" he announced.

"What does this do, Doctor?" Rose asked as she peaked through one of the glass vials. The buzzing in her head had gotten stronger when they had entered the laboratory. She almost felt like something was _trying_ to get her attention.

"Particle extrusion," he answered. "Hold on. Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, my people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure."

"Your people? Who are they? What company do you two represent?" Lance questioned.

"Oh, we're freelancers. But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form."

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna nodded to the container of liquid the Doctor had picked up. The Doctor confirmed by twisting the knob at the top of the vial, causing the Huon particles to glow in both the liquid and in Donna. "Oh my god!" she shrieked.

Rose stood behind the Doctor clutching her head. Lance slowly moved closer to her. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, fine," she brushed him off.

"Genius," the Doctor continued, not noticing Rose's distress. "Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then. Ha!" He jumped backwards and shouted, "The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. Wham! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!" Once again his rambling was cut off by Donna slapping him.

"What did I do this time?!" He frowned at her.

"Are you enjoying this?" she practically growled at him before calming herself. "Right, just tell me. These particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes." He gave a his single drawn out response which Rose immediately saw through. And apparently so did Donna.

"Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles, why did they do that?"

"Because they were deadly."

Donna cried out, "Oh my god."

Rose rushed to her side and began soothing her. "It's alright. The Doctor will figure this out. He always does."

The Doctor placed his hands on Donna's shoulders. "I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose someone else."

"Oh, she is long since lost," a voice echoed through the laboratory as one of the walls in front of them slid up to reveal a tiered hole descending into the earth. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Lance took off running as several robots in black cloaks, trained the guns on The Doctor, Rose, and Donna.

"Someone's been digging." The Doctor peaked into the hole, "Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth! " the ominous female voice called out.

"Really?" He looked up skeptically. "Seriously? What for?"

"Dinosaurs." Donna moved closer.

"What?"

"Dinosaurs?"

He looked at her confused. "What are you on about, dinosaurs?"

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs," she explained. "Trying to help."

"That's not helping."

"Oh I don't know, makes sense to me." Rose moved to the other side of the Doctor. "Well done, Donna. But he's right. Doubt it has anything to do with dinosaurs."

"You're beginning to sound like me." He smiled down at her.

"Such a sweet group," the voice rang out again.

"Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?" the Doctor shouted back. Rose shivered as she began to see the edges of the Oncoming Storm. She only hoped this would turn out to not be bad enough for him to use that side of him.

The voice answered, "High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night."

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at you! " the Doctor taunted.

"Who are you with such command?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart," the creature belonging to the voice answered as she teleported in front of them.

The Doctor took a step back. "Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss..."

"Empress of the Racnoss," she corrected.

"She's a giant spider!" Rose clutched his arm.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss?" It dawned on him, "Or, are you the only one?"

The Empress hissed, "Such a sharp mind."

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets," he quickly explained to Donna and Rose.

"Racnoss are born starving," the spider woman defended. "Is that our fault?"

"They eat people?" Donna asked, disgusted.

"HC Clements, did he wear those, those um, black and white shoes?"

"He did." She smiled fondly. "We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." The Doctor pointed up to reveal a pair of feet wearing black and white shoes, sticking out of a giant spider web. "Oh my god!" Donna cried, while Rose whispered, "Ew!"

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner," said the Empress.

"You shouldn't even exist," the Doctor called out. "Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss, they were wiped out."

Donna and Rose both saw Lance creep up on the balcony behind the Racnoss as she answered, "Except for me."

Lance put his fingers to his lips as Donna spoke up to keep the attention on herself, "But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty," the Empress called out as Lance grabbed an axe and continued to sneak behind her.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe!" She turned to her fiance. "Now, do it!" Lance lifted the axe only to gently place it down as he began laughing, almost maniacally.

"Stupid wanker," Rose spat out, as it clicked in her mind what Lance had done. One look at the Doctor confirmed that he too, had also figured it out.

"That was a good one. Your face." He laughed with the Empress. "Lance is funny!" she chuckled.

"What?" Donna cried as The Doctor and Rose moved to either side of her.

"Oh, Donna, I'm so sorry," Rose said quietly.

"Sorry for what?" She stepped away from them. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

He looked at her with disgust, "God, she's thick. Months I've had to put up with her. Months. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand," Donna said quietly, trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

Rose gently laid her hand on Donna's arm. "How did you meet him, Donna ?"

"In the office."

"He made you coffee," the Doctor stated simply.

"What?" Donna still looked confused.

"Every day," Lance taunted, "I made you coffee."

The Doctor explained, "You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months."

It finally dawned on the bride what had happened to her. "He was poisoning me."

"It was all there in the job title. The Head of Human Resources."

Lance chuckled. "This time, it's personnel."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Seriously, mate?"

"But, we were getting married," said Donna. She could not understand why a man who wanted to marry her would also want to poison her.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off. I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that yap yap yap. Oh, Brad and Angelina. Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia." Lance took a deep breath. "I deserve a medal."

Rose couldn't stand this. Yes, Donna could be a bit difficult, but if she was being honest, Donna reminded Rose of her mum. They had that same fiery spirit and she would not stand by and let this stupid git hurt her. "Oi! I'll tell you what you deserve-"

"Oh, is that what she's offered you?" the Doctor spoke over Rose. As much as he felt bad for Donna he could not let the Empress see Rose as a threat. She would not hesitate to make his blonde companion her next meal. "The Empress of the Racnoss? What are you, her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her," the man said causally. Rose sucked in a breath at the insult he so willingly stated. That was a low blow.

"But I love you." Donna was still trying to understand. So much had happened to her that day. She was on information overload.

"That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician and his little yellow girl?" the Empress hissed.

"She said Martian," Lance informed her.

"Oh, We're just sort of... homeless," he said nonchalantly as he walked towards the giant hole in the ground, "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk," Lance told the Empress.

"I think so too."

"Well, tough! All we need is Donna."

"Kill this chattering little doctor man and his brave yellow girl," The Empress commanded.

Donna stepped in front of her new friends. "Don't you hurt them!" She couldn't let them die because of her.

"No, no, Donna. It's all right," the Doctor said as he calmly moved so he was in front of Rose.

The ginger woman tugged on his arm. "No, I won't let them."

"At arms!" The Empress demanded of her robots, who trained their guns of the two time travelers.

The Doctor said nervously, "Ah, now. Except-"

"Take aim!"

Oh Rose really hoped he had a plan that didn't involve running because the pounding in her head had come back full force and she really wasn't sure how much longer she could remain upright.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious..." the Doctor tried to reason.

The Empress misread what he meant though. "They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots."

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick. If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it, and the spaceship comes to her. " The Doctor twisted the bottle of Huon particles and suddenly the TARDIS began to materialize around the them.

* * *

In the few seconds the seconds it took for the TARDIS to appear, the drumming rhythm in Rose's head got even louder, _BUM BUM BUM BUM. _Over and over again. And somewhere beyond that Rose could swear she could her someone yelling, "_Tell me what you are!"_ Rose gasped and fell to the floor when the TARDIS was fully around them.

"Off we go." The Doctor began the dematerialization sequence, when he noticed Rose clutching her head. "Rose, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing. 'S just my headache's getting worse is all." She shivered slightly. Something was off. The pounding had receded and it left her feeling confused. She could have sworn she heard someone yelling at her, but for the life of her she couldn't remember what it said. Maybe it was just the Empress ordering for them to be killed.

The Doctor knew something was wrong with Rose, she never acted this way, but time was of the essence and he had to focus on what the Racnoss needed at the centre of the Earth. He gave a slight nod and then turned to the other forlorn looking woman. "Oh, do you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene. I've always wanted to see this. Donna, Rose, we're going further back than I've ever been before."

The Doctor in all his excitement of seeing something new, didn't notice that Donna had moved to the jump seat, as tears poured down her face. Rose did though, but what could she say? There wasn't much that could make this situation any better for her. So she did what she did best, she sat down next to her and clutched Donna's hand in support.

"We've arrived. Want to see?" the Doctor asked them a few moments later.

Donna just shrugged. "I suppose."

The Doctor stared at the tiny screen before him as he said, "Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." He then ran for the TARDIS's front doors. "Come on!" the Doctor encouraged her. "No human's ever seen this. You two will be the first."

His enthusiasm was infectious and Rose couldn't help but give a giant grin and the thought of being somewhere brand new. "Go on then, Doctor! Tell us where we are."

"Well all I want to see is my bed," Donna grumbled at the pair, as Rose dragged her towards the Doctor.

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler, welcome to the creation of the Earth." The Doctor then dramatically opened the doors to reveal a magnificent view of space.

Dust and rocks were floating all around them but Rose still thought it was beautiful. "This never gets old," Rose said as she moved to stand in front of the Doctor. She was surprised when he then, moved to place his arms around her waist. It wasn't the first time they had snuggled up to each other, but the Doctor rarely displayed such affection in front of other people.

"We've gone back four point six billion years," he explained to the two humans, "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked logically.

"All around us in the dust."

Rose shivered at feeling of his breath on her ear. She leaned her head back on his chest and whispered, "Beautiful."

Donna looked slightly ashamed, "Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny."

"No, but that's what you do! The human race," He nudged her, "makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?"

"Isn't that brilliant?"

Suddenly a large and oddly shaped rock floated by. "I think that's the Isle of Wight," Donna joked.

"Ah there's a smile." Rose reached over and squeezed the woman's hand before turning in the Doctor's arms and asking, "So how exactly does the Earth come about?"

"Eventually, gravity takes hold," he explained to her, "Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get-"

"The Earth," Donna finished for him, staring in utter amazement.

"But the question is, what was that first rock?"

Out of the swirling clouds came on odd looking rock, shaped like a seven pointed star. "What's that, Doctor?" Rose pointed.

"The Racnoss," he whispered before running back to the console and speeding up time. "Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"

Rose closed her eyes as another wave of dizziness washed over her. Thankfully, Donna was still watching and was able to answer him, "Exactly what you said." She watched as all the rocks and dust began to circle the Racnoss's web.

The Doctor ran back. "Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock." Without warning the TARDIS jerked and Rose and Donna were both thrown back onto the ramp. Only the Doctor was able to keep upright.

"What was that?" Donna shouted as she helped Rose stand.

The Time Lord looked grim. "Trouble."

Donna watched as he ran for the console and started ordering Rose to push various buttons. The poor blonde woman looked as if she was about to hurl but seemed to be putting on a brave face for the Doctor. Donna didn't know how she did it. "What the hell's it doing?" Donna asked them as the ship tossed to and fro.

"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles? Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!" he answered.

"Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" _This was a space and time ship for Pete's sake!_ Donna thought to herself.

"Backseat driver," the Doctor muttered just loud enough for Rose to hear. "Oh! Wait a minute!" he shouted. "The extrapolator!"

"What's that gonna do?" Rose asked. Whenever she looked at the particular piece of machinery in made her think of Jack. He worked so hard installing, to the TARDIS.

"It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" he answered proudly. After an extremely bumping landing, the Doctor quickly opened the door and announced, "We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" He then took off running down the tunnel.

* * *

Rose was struggling to keep up. Even Donna, who was wearing a wedding dress, was able to run faster than her. As she drew nearer, she could her the other two in front of her talking, but she couldn't focus on the words. Her vision began to swim and there seemed to be an odd rushing sound in her ears. Right before Rose lost consciousness, she noticed the sensation of something wet tricking over her lips.

* * *

"They've just taken hibernation for billions of years," the Doctor was explaining to Rose and Donna, who he assumed were behind him, why the Racnoss needed the Huon particles. "Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it..." He then realized the quietness around him. "and you have never been so quiet."

He began looking around him for any sign of the two women, when he noticed some small dark splotches of the ground. He bent down and immediately recognized it as being blood and the Doctor knew in his gut that, that blood belonged to his companion. The Empress was adamant on not hurting Donna but had no problem ordering her little robots to shoot and kill Rose. The Doctor took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. _Rose would be fine_. He kept chanting to himself. And if she wasn't... well... the Empress was about to meet the Oncoming Storm.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Runaway Bride Part 3.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	4. The Runaway Bride Part 3

**A/N: Hello, lovelies. Many thanks to my followers, those who have reviewed, and those of you who have favorited! This is the conclusion to The Runaway Bride and I hope you all like it! I would love some reviews 3**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are from the episodes The Runaway Bride and Doomsday. Credit for those lines goes to their respective writers.***

* * *

Rose's head was swimming. She knew the roboforms had captured her and she was now lying somewhere near the hole leading to the center of the Earth, but she couldn't bring herself to try and escape. So she kept her eyes shut and waited for the Doctor to come and save her. However, she was afraid that he might not get there in time to save Donna, who was now tied up with Lance in the Empress's web. At that moment she heard the Racnoss shout, "I don't. Activate the particles. Purge every last one... and release!"

Rose moaned softly in her semi unconscious state. She felt like her entire body was burning and at the same time, more voices filled her mind.

_"Tell me what you are!"_

_"I'm just me. I'm just human. Why don't you believe me?!"_

_"Because you are different. I know that you're the key I need, but I want to know how he did it!"_

_"Well you'll never get your answer because he didn't do anything. I'm not your key or whatever you think I am so just let me go!"_

* * *

The Doctor, garbed in one of the robot's robes and mask, slowly made his way up the stairs in the laboratory. He had made it just in time to see Lance fall into the hole below him. He may have been a horrible man to Donna, but that didn't stop the Doctor from feeling guilty about not saving him. The image of Rose, crumpled near the hole, was almost enough to make the Doctor blow his cover and immediately go to her, but the sight of her slowly rising chest made him stop. He needed to get closer to the Empress without her noticing. He also needed to get Donna out of that web.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat," the Empress commanded. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them. So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."

The Doctor stopped at one of the ledges and removed his cloak and mask. "Oh well. Nice try. I've got you, Donna!" He aimed his sonic screwdriver at the web.

"I'm going to fall!" the bride shouted.

"You're going to swing! I've got you!" he yelled to her as she swung across the hole, past the Empress, and landed on the hard cement beneath him. "Oh. Sorry."

She looked up at him. "Thanks for nothing."

"Donna, get Rose away from the hole please." Donna did as she was told, and gently wiped away the blood that had started to dry on the blonde's upper lip.

The Empress hissed out, "The doctor man amuses me."

"Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now, " the Doctor declared.

"These men are so funny," the Empress said to herself.

"What's your answer?"

"Oh I'm afraid I have to decline."

The Doctor looked at her darkly. "Then what happens next is your own doing."

The Empress laughed. "I'll show you what happens next. At arms! Take aim!" The robots did as the were told and aimed the guns towards him. "And-"

"Relax," the Doctor said quietly.

Donna looked around in amazement. "What did you do?"

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" He held up a remote control. "Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?"

He gave a small smirk. "They're bigger on the inside."

"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh," the Empress informed him.

The Doctor shook his head. "Oh, but I'm not from Mars.

"Then where?"

He gave her a cold stare. "My home planet is far away and long since gone... but its name lives on. Gallifrey."

The Empress drew back in anger. "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"I warned you. You did this."

* * *

_Gallifrey Gallifrey Gallifrey_

The name of the Doctor's home planet echoed through Rose's mind. His voice became her beacon out of the darkness. She slowly opened her eyes and found herself laying at Donna's feet. The Empress was screaming for her children as small explosions were breaking out and water began to flood the room. Donna was looking up, absolutely terrified. Rose looked to see what had the ginger woman so scared and realized it was the Doctor. No... it was the Oncoming Storm. The Destroyer of Worlds. And it broke her heart.

"Donna..." she said quietly. Startled, Donna quickly helped Rose out of the water and onto her feet. Rose leaned heavily on her and told her, "Stop him."

"Doctor!" Donna looked up and shouted, "You can stop now!"

The sight of Rose alive and awake sent relief through him, but then he realized what was happening. He needed to get his companions out of there. "Come on. Time I got you out." Donna helped Rose up the stairs, to the Doctor. He grabbed her hand and asked, "Can you run?"

She gave a weak smile. "Always."

* * *

"But what about the Empress?" Donna asked as the three made their way up a ladder and out of the dark tunnels.

"She's used up all her Huon energy," the Doctor quickly informed them. "She's defenseless!"

When they finally made it out into the night, Donna began laughing. "Just there's one problem."

"Just one?" Rose began laughing as well as she buried her face in the Doctor's shoulder.

"We've drained the Thames!" Donna said as they looked around and realized they were standing on gate eight in the middle of a very empty Thames river.

* * *

Once they made it back to the TARDIS the Doctor immediately set the coordinates for Donna's home. As they made their way down the ramp, Rose whispered, "Let's ask her to come with us."

The Doctor didn't give a response but gave her a sly wink as he turned to Donna. "There we go. Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything." He patted the side of the TARDIS.

"More than I've done," Donna said dejectedly.

The Doctor pulled out the sonic and began scanning her. "No, all the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine." Rose just sighed as he once again missed the obvious.

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day." She made a face. "Sort of."

"I couldn't save him," he said sadly.

"He deserved it," Donna stated firmly.

"Really?" Rose asked looking unconvinced. Yes, he was a complete wanker, but did that mean he deserved to die?

Donna looked down. "No, he didn't." She turned to look over her shoulder. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

"Best Christmas present they could have." The Doctor smiled and nodded towards her parents who were hugging near the front window. "Oh, no. I forgot... you hate Christmas."

"What?!" Rose looked at Donna shocked.

"Yes, I do."

The Doctor smirked and said, "Even if it snows?" He reached up to fiddle with the top of the TARDIS, causing a blot of energy to shoot out of the light. The energy exploded like a firework and rained down snow.

Rose and Donna both began laughing and smiling with glee. Donna turned to the Doctor and stated, "I can't believe you did that!"

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," he leaned against the TARDIS smugly.

Rose moved to stand next to him. "Impressive."

Donna smiled at the pair. "Merry Christmas."

"And you," the Doctor grinned back.

"What are you going to do now, Donna?" Rose asked.

"Not getting married, for starters." She rolled her eyes. "And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."

"Well, you could always..." his sentence trailed off and Rose had to suppress a giggle. The Doctor actually looked bashful!

"What?" Donna asked.

"Come with us!" Rose blurted out before the Doctor could drag it out any longer.

"No," Donna responded quietly.

Rose looked hurt, as did the Doctor, but he was trying to hide it. "Okay."

"I can't..."

"No, that's fine," he said nonchalantly.

"No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you live your life like that?" Donna looked at them in wonder.

"No!" Rose tried to defend the way they lived. "Not all the time."

She just smiled sadly. "I think you do. And I couldn't."

"But, Donna, you've seen it out there. It's beautiful," Rose couldn't understand how she could not want to join them.

"And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying," she looked at the Doctor, "and you were stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death." She then turned back to Rose. "And you. You say you're human but you just automatically accept all these strange things. And you're awake and running one minute, then you're collapsed on the ground, then you're back to running. I could never do that."

"Well then." The Doctor looked away. He genuinely liked Donna and having her call him out on complete truths hurts. And then to say those things about Rose. It was just too much.

Donna felt guilty seeing the looks on their faces. "Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on."

Rose sucked in a breath at the thought of having a Christmas celebration without her mum or even Mickey. She just... couldn't. The Doctor, sensing his companion's distress, told Donna, "We..uh.. we don't do that sort of thing."

"You did it last year! You said so. And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

Rose just shook her head as she fought back tears. "I really can't, Donna." She walked forward and hugged the bride. "It was really great meeting you, I just wish it would have been under different circumstances." With that, Rose ran quickly inside her home.

"I'd better go." The Doctor made his way to the TARDIS door before turning around. "Goodbye, Donna Noble."

As he shut the door, the blue box immediately began to disappear. "Doctor! Doctor!" Donna shouted.

The TARDIS solidified again as the Doctor stuck his head out. "Blimey, you can shout."

"Am I ever going to see you two again?"

"If we're lucky," he smiled.

"Just promise me one thing," she took a deep breath, "keep Rose with you."

The Doctor smirked. "That's the plan."

"Good. Because you need her, Doctor. You need her to stop you."

"Yeah. Thanks then, Donna. Good luck," he started to go back in before peeking out again. "And... just be magnificent."

Donna gave a small chuckle. "That's the plan."

* * *

The Doctor set the TARDIS to drift through the vortex while he sought after Rose. She wasn't in the control room when he had entered and after everything that had happened to her, he was definitely worried. Thankfully, the TARDIS was helpful and led him right to the kitchen, where he found her sitting at the table, nursing a cup of tea.

"I made you one too," she said quietly, nodding to the mug placed across from her.

"Ta." He sat down and reached for her hand. "I should get you to the med bay and make sure you're alright."

Rose held his hand tightly but avoided eye contact. "I'm feeling better now, Doctor."

"Rose," he exhaled. "You've felt dizzy and nauseous all day, you've had more than one nose bleed, and there was a time you were completely unconscious. Please, let me make sure you're alright."

"Seriously though, Doctor, I'm much better now. I'm telling you, this used to happen to me all the time as a kid. I've barely slept this past week and then having to deal with the funeral, saying goodbye to my mum, and then having to deal with the Donna situation. It was just too much on my body. I'll be right as rain tomorrow but right now all I want is a hot shower and then to go to bed." She took a drink and set her empty mug down. "Besides, the TARDIS would tell you if something was really wrong with me."

The Doctor nodded in defeat. "Fine. But if this happens again, you're getting a complete exam!"

She giggled. "Doctor's orders?"

"Yes." He stood and placed both of their mugs in the small sink behind the table. Rose also got up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Goodnight, Doctor."

* * *

Rose stood in the shower and let the hot water pour down her back. She was trying to remember the strange dreams she had while unconscious but nothing was coming to her. _Oh well. Must not have been important. _Rose thought to herself as she bent down to grab her Malluvian body wash. She had got it awhile back from this market on the planet Malluvia. It smelled like a mix of bananas and another fruit native to that planet. The Doctor had commented on how much he enjoyed the smell, so, when he had his back turned, Rose immediately bought it.

Normally it helped calm her but now, washing with the alien soap, she could only hear her mother's previous words to her, _"And you'll keep on changing. And in forty years time, fifty, there'll be this woman, this strange woman, walking through the marketplace on some planet a billion miles from Earth. But she's not Rose Tyler. Not anymore. She's not even human."_

* * *

Rose quickly finished her shower before throwing on her comfiest pair of jimjams. After running a brush through her hair, she immediately left her room to find the Doctor. As the TARDIS had helped him find his companion earlier, she, in turn, helped his companion find him. Rose was immediately led to the library and found the Doctor residing on the small couch, reading.

"Rose! I thought you had gone to bed?" he said when he noticed her enter. He sat up and made room on the couch for her to sit next to him.

"I needed to ask you something." She began nervously twisting her hands in her lap.

The Doctor gave her a sympathetic smile and stilled her hands with his. "You can ask me anything, Rose."

"Am I still the same girl?"

"What do you mean?" He looked at her, confused.

"Am I still the same human girl you met in the basement of Henricks?" She looked him deeply in the eyes.

"Before I answer, let me ask you something, Rose," he paused for a moment and the continued, "Am I still the same Doctor?"

"Yes," she said automatically.

"Really?" he asked doubtfully.

"Well... yes and no."

"That's the same answer I have for your question," he stated simply. He pulled her close so her head was resting on his shoulder. "Is this about what Donna said to you earlier?"

"Partly." She shrugged. "But also something my mum said too."

"And what was that?"

"She was afraid that after she was gone, that I would have no reason to come to Earth and in fifty years I would be on some planet but I wouldn't be Rose Tyler anymore. I wouldn't be human." Rose scrunched her face, in hopes that the tears forming in her eyes wouldn't fall.

The Doctor swallowed. "Oh, Rose..."

"Stop it right there, Mister." She sat up and poked his chest. "Don't you go feeling guilty. I'll be fine. But my mum was right. No matter what happens to me I need to remember who I am."

"Of course you will, Rose." He pulled her back to his side and placed a kiss to the top of her head.

After a few minutes of silence, Rose spoke up, "Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"I do want to celebrate Christmas. But not right now. I'm not ready yet," she whispered.

"Just tell me when you are and we can celebrate however you'd like."

"That sounds nice," Rose yawned. "Will you read to me for a bit?"

"Course." He picked his book back up before reminding her, "Tomorrow I'll take you shopping and then to this great little spa resort I know of."

Rose bit her lip and smiled. "Do you think we could also go for some chips?"

"Your wish is my command."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Smiths and Jones.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	5. The Smiths and Jones Part 1

**A/N: Hello! Thanks so much to everyone who is following, as favorited, and has reviewed this story! I adore you all. This is the first part of Smith and Jones (or as I'm calling it The Smiths and Jones) and I really hope you guys like it! I love hearing your thoughts!**

**Side note: I went back to the previous chapters and fixed some spelling and grammer mistakes but no worries, nothing major was changed!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Smith and Jones. Credit for those lines goes to their respective writers.***

* * *

"Chips. All I wanted was chips. And when I asked for chips, I believe your exact words were, 'your wish is my command.' That was three weeks ago, Doctor."

The past three weeks had been absolutely wonderful. The Doctor had made good on his promise and had taken Rose to this lovely resort planet that offered any spa service imaginable. Plus the Doctor and Rose had access to their own private beach. After that they spent a week just floating through Vortex while the Doctor made some necessary repairs to their beloved ship. And then, finally, the Doctor took Rose shopping at this fantastic little bazaar on an Arabian style planet with a name Rose found completely unpronounceable.

I had been just what the Doctor and Rose needed. A nice little break for them to both recover from the events of the Battle of Canary Wharf. But now it was back to business. Now they were sitting in a crowded waiting room at the Royal Hope Hospital while the Doctor filled out some paperwork for Rose, while she was feigning stomach cramps.

"I know and I'm sorry, Rose. But I'm telling you, there's something odd about those plasma coils. Let's just get you admitted, then we can solve this mystery, then I will get you your chips," the Doctor told without lifting his eyes from the clipboard he was writing on. "To be fair, I did get you chips back at that bazaar on Adh-Dhi'ban."

"But we were so close! Why couldn't we go get the chips and then come back to the hospital? Oh and those chips were purple and tasted like tomatoes," she said.

"Because, something is happening here and I don't want to miss a thing. Now take a look at this and tell me if it's alright." He handed her the paperwork for her admittance to the hospital.

Rose quickly scanned the information. "It all seems fine, but why did you put me down as Rose Smith instead of Rose Tyler? And why did you check the married box?"

"Well if they end up keeping you overnight, the only way I can stay with you is if I'm your husband," he said nonchalantly, as he took back the papers and went to go hand them back to the front desk.

When he came back Rose noticed that he was wearing a gold band on his left ring finger. "Bio damper," he informed her. "Got to look the part." He began digging through his pockets before pulling out another, small ring. He sat back down next to her and grabbed her left hand. "I know pronounce you, Rose Smith."

Rose let out an audible gasp as the Doctor slipped a silver looking ring on her finger. In the center of the ring was a small blue sapphire with two circular designs on either side. "That's not a bio damper."

"Nope!" He popped his p. "Donna must have kept my spare. That one is.. um... that was is actually from my planet," he told her as he began nervously tugging on his ear. Rose secretly thought it was an old habit from when his ears had been slightly larger in his previous form.

"It beautiful." She gazed at the ring decorating her left hand. "Oh, Doctor, are you sure you want me to wear this? If it's from your planet then it must be very rare and I would just feel horrible if something happened to it."

"It would be my honour if you wore it, Rose. Nothing will happen to it. Trust me."

Rose met the Doctor's eyes and found her self filled with the desire to lean forward and kiss him, but of course it would be at that exact moment that she heard the name "Rose Smith" shouted out from the nurse waiting for her at the front desk.

* * *

"If you just wanted to sneak around the place then, tell me again, why I had to be a patient instead of us using the physic paper to be hospital officials?" Rose asked when the Doctor snuck back into her hospital room several hours later. He had left to have a wander after he thought she had fallen asleep.

"It's more fun this way?" he asked unconvincingly. "Sorry. I thought you were sleeping."

"I was, but this bed is incredibly uncomfortable and I've got headache."

"Again?" He looked at her concerned. Rose had not had any sickness or headaches for the past three weeks.

"It's just a headache, Doctor. Nothing to worry about. Probably just nerves," she explained, "since the last time I was at a hospital I was possessed by a crazy flap of skin."

He laughed as he took the seat next to her bed. "Jeopardy friendly, you are!"

"So did you find anything suspicious while you are sneaking around this place? No cat nuns running experiments on home grown humans?"

"No, but I did check for that," he told her in all seriousness. "Really, besides a few snog breaks some nurses were having in the storage closet, nothing out of the ordinary."

"And somehow I have a feeling those aren't that unusual around here!" Rose chuckled.

The two spent the next couple hours joking and reminiscing about past adventures before Rose finally fell back asleep. The Doctor took a deep breath and began rubbing his eyes. Seeing Rose wearing _that_ particular ring was almost his undoing. And they way she wore it so innocently, not even realizing what it would mean if the Time Lords were still around. _"Stop right there!" _he commanded himself. He could not think like that. Rose was his companion and as much as he may want more with her, he can't have it. She is human. An absolutely gorgeous, brilliant, and amazing human, but still a human with a human life span. He had meant what he said to her before. She could spend the rest of her life with him but there was just no way that he could spend the rest of his with her. No matter how much he wanted it.

* * *

_"Good morning, starshine! The Earth says hello! So did you think about my offer?"_

_"Didn't need to because the answer is still, 'no.' Got it?"_

_"That's unfortunate, because now you will have to deal with the consequences."_

Rose gasped as she awoke and sat straight up. The Doctor was next to her in an instant and gently helped her lay back. "Shhh, it's alright. You're safe. It was just a bad dream."

Rose began taking deep breaths trying to calm her racing heart. She couldn't remember a single thing about her dream but she knew whatever happened was clearly terrifying. A dull ache began, once more, pounding in her head. _Bum Bum Bum Bum._

"Do you want to talk about it?" The Doctor asked cautiously.

Rose shook her head. "There's nothing to talk about. I can't remember a thing."

"You sure?" He grabbed her hand and began absentmindedly playing with her fingers.

"I'm sure..." Rose replied rather breathless from the contact. It was then she realized something. "We match, Doctor!"

"What do you mean?"

"The ring you put on me matches your new suit."

"Look at that! It does! That's lovely." He grinned. "You never said what you think of the new suit."

"I like it. I think I prefer brown but the blue works too," she told him.

"Well I thought I would try mixing things up a bit. But never fear, I won't give up the brown." He then turned and said, "Heads up, the students are making their rounds."

A man they had briefly met last night called Dr. Stoker came up with a small group of med students."Now then, Mrs. Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?" Stoker asked.

"Well not terrible, but still sort of queasy." Rose weakly clutched her stomach. The Doctor had to turn to his grin. Rose might not like being in the hospital but there's no denying that she loves to go undercover.

Stoker addressed his students, "Rose Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains. Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

Jones was a young beautiful woman with dark skin, who looked around the same age as Rose and Rose herself couldn't help but admire her, until she looked disapprovingly at herself and the Doctor. "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, was it?"

The Doctor looked up at her confused. "Sorry?"

"On Chancellor Street this morning? You both came up to me and you," she pointed to the Doctor, "took your tie off and you," she pointed to Rose, "offered me a chip."

"Really? What did we'd do that for?" The Doctor asked her seriously causing Rose to break out into giggles.

"I don't know, you just did."

"Well it wasn't us. I was here in bed and this bloke has stayed by my side the entire time. Ask the nurses," Rose informed her.

The woman looked perplexed."Well that's weird, cause they seriously looked like you two. Have you got a brother and a sister?"

"Nope." The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand. "Just us."

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Stoker spoke up.

"Sorry. Right." The student doctor took out her stethoscope and placed it on Rose's chest. "Hhmm. Slightly elevated heart rate but that's not too unusual. Is there any chance you're pregnant Mrs. Smith."

Rose let out a snort. "No chance."

"Are you sure? Because even when taking precautions pregnancy can still occur."

"I can't have children." Rose told her bluntly. The Doctor quickly looked at his companion but tried to hide his surprise.

"Oh, sorry."

Dr. Stoker let out a deep sigh. "I weep for future generations. Do you have a diagnosis?"

The young woman looked around nervously, "Um... stomach cramps... perhaps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart. If you had you would have seen that despite Mrs. Smith saying she can't have children, a pregnancy text was still taken last night when she was admitted and it came back negative." Stoker reach to pick up Rose's chart from the end of the bed but dropped it suddenly when he receive a nasty shock.

"That happened to me this morning!" the young woman known as Jones told him. While two others commented on the same things happening to them.

"That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by. Anyone?" Stoker looked around the room.

"Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor piped up excitedly.

"Correct."

The Doctor turned to Rose. "My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked..."

"Quite." Stoker said dryly.

"And then I got electrocuted." The Doctor finished his tale.

Rose could barely contain her laughter when she heard Stoker say, "Moving on. I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric for Mr. Smith. And next we have..."

As Dr. Stoker lead his group away the Doctor turned back to his companion. "Rose, what did you mean that you can't have children."

"Oh." Rose blinked in surprise. "Well, I've always been a bit... _irregular_... if you know what I mean," she blushed in embarrassment, "and the doctors told my mum when I was younger that it would be highly unlikely if I would be able to have children. Not totally impossible, which is why they insisted on doing that test last night, but still unlikely."

"I'm so sorry, Rose," he said with compassion. He knew how important that was to human women.

"Don't be, Doctor. It never bothered me much. Having kids has never been something I've wanted."

The Doctor glanced at her. "But you might someday."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I'm not having this conversation with you again. I don't want to be married with kids. I want you and the TARDIS for forever. End of story."

* * *

"I knew me being a patient would be pointless," Rose declared as she and the Doctor snuck back into her hospital room. It had been over an hour since she had been scene by the doctors and since no one had come to see her since, the Doctor figured they could explore for a bit and no one would miss them.

"Blimey, listen, that rain's really coming down," the Doctor said, ignoring Rose's whine.

Rose turned to look out the window and gulped. "Doctor! Look!" she shouted.

"What?" He turned to see what had her so frightened.

"The rain is falling up..."

"Rose get down!" the Doctor ordered as he crouched next to her and held her close to him. The hospital began violently shaking and tipping about. After, what felt like minutes, it finally stopped. "Quick, get your regular clothes back on." He helped Rose stand and turned to give her privacy.

"What the hell was that, Doctor?!" Rose asked as she slid her jeans and jumper on.

"I believe it was some sort of H2O scoop. But I'll need to have a better look outside," he responded.

Just then they heard the student who they had spoken to earlier walk in the room and announce, "All right now, everyone back to bed, we've got an emergency but we'll sort it out. Don't worry."

Once Rose was finally dressed they peeked around the curtain and saw the woman trying to open the window. "Don't! We'll lose all the air." Another woman who had been in the group earlier clutched her arm.

"But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

The Doctor swung the curtain open. "Very good point. Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it? Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" the other woman cried hysterically.

"But we obviously are breathing so just calm down, alright?" Rose tried to reason with her.

The Doctor began looking around. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda-"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah."

The Doctor held his hand out to Rose. "Fancy going out?"

Rose gave her signature tongue in teeth grin. "Do you even have to ask?"

"What about you, Martha Jones?" he asked.

"Okay," Martha whole heartedly agreed.

"We might die," He warned.

She shrugged. "We might not."

Rose gave a small chuckle. "Oh, she's good."

"Indeed. Come on. Not her, she'd hold us up." He pointed to the still crying woman.

* * *

The three made their way to the patients' lounge balcony and opened the glass doors. "We've got air. How does that work?" Martha asked.

"Just be glad it does," the Doctor answered as he observed their surroundings.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty first. My mother's going to be really, really-"

Martha stopped and Rose recognized that look. Culture shock. She walked up and laid her hand on the young soon to be doctor's shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Sure?" the Doctor asked kindly.

"Yeah," was the response Martha gave again.

"It's okay if you aren't, you know?" Rose told her with a smile. "We could go back in." Rose gestured to the door leading back inside.

"No way!" Martha replied, vehemently. "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same, it's beautiful."

The Doctor smiled. "Do you think?"

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are," she said in awe.

"Standing in the Earth light," he said as he placed his arm around Rose.

"What do you think happened?" she asked this odd couple. She wasn't sure why she trusted them. But she did.

"What do you think?" the Doctor countered and Rose knew immediately that he was testing her.

Martha answered with positivity, "Extraterrestrial. It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben, Christmas, those Cybermen things. I had a cousin. Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I'm sorry," was all Rose could say. So many lives were lost that day. So many families torn apart. All because of Torchwood. But she couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible. Torchwood was created because of her and the Doctor. So was it really their fault?

"Yeah," she sighed.

"We were there," the Doctor told her. "In the battle."

Martha lifted her chin. "I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we will find a way out. If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"We're not the Smiths," the Doctor admitted. "That not our real names."

"Who are you, then?"

"I'm Rose Tyler, nice to meet you." The blonde shook her hand as the Doctor introduced himself.

"And I'm the Doctor."

Martha snorted, "Me too, if I can pass my exams. What is it then, Doctor Smith or Doctor Tyler?"

The Doctor shook his head, "Oh we're not really married. And it's just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, just the Doctor?"

"Just the Doctor," he stated simply causing Rose to break out into giggles. She was waiting for the other woman to ask, "Doctor Who?"

"What, people call you the Doctor?" Martha asked in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm not," she said defiantly. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

The Doctor made a face at Rose. "Well, I'd better make a start then. Let's have a look. There must be some sort of-" he picked a rock up and threw it out and over the balcony. When the rock bounced back he finished his sentence, "force field keeping the air in."

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got. What happens when it runs out?" Martha asked logically.

"Oh my god." Rose gasped, "Doctor, who many people are in this hospital?"

The Doctor had no answer and turned to Martha who responded with, "I don't know. A thousand?"

"One thousand people suffocating," he muttered.

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked, genuinely confused.

"Head's up! Ask them yourself," he nodded to the three massive columnar spaceships that passed overhead and landed doors to the ships opened and columns of large marching beings came out.

"Aliens!" Martha practically shouted. "That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"What are they, Doctor?" Rose asked nervously. The look on his face was not a good one.

"Judoon," was the answer he gave.

"Okay and is that good or bad?"

He gave her no answer and instead lead the two women back inside the hospital.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Smiths and Jones Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	6. The Smiths and Jones Part 2

**A/N: Hello! I hope you all had a lovely Easter holiday. Many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed. You all make my heart happy. I hope you all heard the news about David and Billie returning for the 50th! I am literally freaking out. So. Excited. Anywho, here's the next chapter. I fully admit that it is not my favorite, then again, I'm not a huge fan of this actual episode in general. (Oh and trust me, Rose is going to be a bigger part in future chapters!) I hope you all like this still! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Smith and Jones. Credit for those lines go to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor lead Martha and Rose to the mezzanine level of the hospital lobby, where they watched the Judoon start to catalogue people. They watched in silence as mayhem ensued until the Doctor noticed something in the corner. "Oh, look down there, Rose, they've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

"Never mind that. What are Judoon?" Martha asked.

"They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs."

"They look like rhinos... space rhinos," Rose critiqued them.

"And they brought us to the moon?" Martha was trying to wrap her head around what was happening.

"Neutral territory," the Doctor explained. "According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, lightning? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"No, but I like that. Good thinking. No, I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human, which is very bad news for me."

"Why?"

The Doctor and Rose just stared at her.

"Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous."

Rose began giggling while the Doctor just raised his eyebrow.

"Stop looking at me like that."

The Doctor stood and grabbed Rose's hand. "Come on then. We need to find what they're looking for before they do."

* * *

When they reached the administrative office the Doctor pulled Rose in and turned to Martha. "Wait out here. If the Judoon get close let us know." He then shut the door and went to the nearest computer. "So what do you think of Miss Martha Jones?"

Rose shrugged. "She's nice. And she asks some good questions. Why?"

"No reason. Just curious," he told her.

Rose just nodded her head. But she knew what the Doctor was doing. He'd been testing Martha since the moment they arrived on the moon.

"Are you alright?" The Doctor's question broke her thoughts.

"Yeah. Why?"

"You just look a bit pale. You're not having trouble breathing yet, are you?" He took her hand and searched her eyes.

"Not really. Not yet," she corrected as Martha came back in the room.

"They've reached third floor." Martha then noticed the Doctor working on the computer. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," he answered.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly." Martha look at him, irritated.

"No, really, it is. It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look." He held the silver device up to her.

"Haven't you ever been bored? Rose asked her, causing the Doctor to give a short laugh.

Martha rushed forward, "What else have you got, a laser spanner?"

Rose snorted. "Please, Martha, that is far to Spock for him."

"I did," he ignored Rose's jab, "but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman. Oh, this computer!" He hit the machine. "The Judoon must have locked it down. Judoon platoon upon the moon. Because we were just traveling past. I swear, we were just wandering. Rose wanted some chips from London and I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't, but I noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning, that's a plasma coil. Been building up for two days now, so I checked Rose in. I thought something was going on inside. It turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above," he finally finished his ramble.

"Breathe, Doctor," Rose reminded him as she tried not to laugh at the way his hair was sticking up in all directions. A sure sign that things were not going well for him.

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked.

"Something that looks human, but isn't."

"Like him." Rose pointed to the Time Lord.

"What about you?"

"Oh I'm human, like you!" Rose gave her a comforting smile.

Martha turned to the Doctor. "So they're looking for someone like you?"

"Like me. But not me," he informed.

"Haven't they got a photo?"

"Well, might be a shape-changer."

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harbouring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

Rose began feeling lightheaded as Martha asked, "All of us?"

"Oh yes. If I can find this thing first. Oh! You see, they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever." He began rubbing the back of his neck.

"What are we looking for, Doctor?" Rose placed her hand on his shoulder. "Do we know anything about the alien they're after."

"I don't know. Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms. Maybe there's a back-up."

"Just keep working. I'll go ask Mister Stoker. He might know," Martha said before racing out of the room.

* * *

A few moments later the Doctor jumped off his stool and shouted, "Ha! Got it! Let's go find Martha."

They excited the office and immediately ran smack into the woman they were looking for. "I've restored the back-up," the Doctor told her.

"I found her," Martha gasped.

"You did what?" he asked as two motorcycle looking men broke down a door and began chasing after them. "Run!" The Doctor grabbed both females hands and raced through various hospital corridors before finally making it to the radiology department. Dragging them into one of the x-ray rooms, he pushed them behind the screen. "When I say now, press the button."

Martha's eyes got wide. This wasn't her specialty! "But I don't know which one!"

"Then find out!" he commanded. The Doctor began working on the x-ray machine while Martha was frantically pulling the user's manual off the shelf.

"Come on, Martha!" Rose urged her to look faster.

"I'm trying!" Her hands were shaking as she flipped through the pages.

The leather-clad man finally made his way into the room as the Doctor pointed the machine at him and shouted, "Now!" Rose looked at the machine and punched the largest yellow button. She breathed a sigh of relief when that seemed to work and the leather man fell face down.

Martha quickly shut the machine down. "What did you do?" she asked with a slight tremble in her voice.

The Doctor sniffed. "Increased the radiation by five thousand per cent. Killed him dead." Rose frowned. That was very unlikely. The Doctor would never just kill.

Martha didn't seemed bother by the man's death but was concerned about the man she had just met, "But isn't that going to kill you?"

"Nah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out. I've absorbed it all. All I need to do is expel it. If I concentrate I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot. It's in my left shoe. Here we go, here we go." He began shaking his foot and jumping around. "Easy does it. Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out. Ah, ah, ah, ah! It is, it is, it is, it is, it is hot. Hold on." The Doctor quickly ripped his left shoe off and threw it in the bin. "Done."

Rose burst out laughing at his antics. _Just a day in the life... _she thought to herself.

"You're completely mad," Martha said almost breathlessly.

"You're right. I look daft with one shoe." He took off his right shoe and threw it away as well. "Barefoot on the moon," he said as he waggled his toes. "Rose?" He nodded down to his companions feet.

She shook her head and grinned. "No, ta."

"So what is that thing?" Martha asked as the three knelt down next to the leather clad man. "And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?"

"It's just a Slab. They're called Slabs. Basic slave drones. See? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish." He gave a wink to Rose as he stood and began looking for his sonic screwdriver.

"But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant," Martha told him.

"My sonic screwdriver..." the Doctor said in disbelief as he pulled his now fried sonic out of the x-ray machine.

The young doctor continued, "She was one of the patients, but-"

"Oh, no. My sonic screwdriver," He continued as Rose moved to stand next to him.

"She had a straw like some kind of vampire."

He looked at Rose sadly. "I loved my sonic screwdriver."

She patted his arm in comfort. "I know. I did too. It was a good sonic."

"Doctor!?" Martha said loudly.

"Sorry." He tossed the screwdriver behind him and smiled. "You called me Doctor."

She shook her head. "Anyway... Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mister Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to take a snack. You'd think she'd be hiding. Unless. No. Yes, that's it. Wait a minute. Yes! Shape-changer. Internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it!" he shouted.

"You mean if she drinks a human's blood, then it's like she's human?" Rose asked him.

"Right on, Rose Tyler! If she can assimilate Mister Stoker's blood, mimic the biology, she'll register as human. We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

* * *

The trio hid behind a water cooler as another slab walked by. "That's the thing about Slabs." The Doctor sighed, "They always travel in pairs."

"Like you two?" Martha looked between the Doctor and Rose.

He frowned slightly, "What do you mean?"

"If you aren't married, then are you his back up?" She asked Rose. "His partner or something?"

The Doctor spoke before Rose could answer, "Oh. Humans. We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, you're asking personal questions? Come on." He stood and began leading them away.

"I like that. Humans. I'm still not convinced you're an alien," she said as the three ran right into a Judoon who immediately scanned the Doctor.

"Non-human," the large alien proclaimed.

Rose turned to Martha. "Believe him now?"

"And again!" The Doctor turned and began running once more.

* * *

Thankfully, the Judoon weren't very fast and the three easily made it to another floor. All around them people were collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. The Doctor noticed that they all already had their hands marked by the Judoon. "They've done this floor. Come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already. If we're lucky."

Martha stopped by her friend who was giving a young girl oxygen. "How much oxygen is there?"

The woman gave a slight shake of her head. "Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out."

The Doctor looked at Rose and Martha. "How are you both feeling? Are you all right?"

"I'm running on adrenaline." Martha smiled.

"Welcome to our world." He gave a quick smirk before turning his attention to his companion. "And you, Rose?"

"Honestly? A little light-headed. But not for lack of air. It's something else." Rose wasn't sure what she was feeling. Her breathing was just fine, yet she was beginning to feel a little weak. The Doctor pulled her to his side and gave her shoulders a quick squeeze.

"What about the Judoon?" Martha quietly brought up, hating to interrupt the pair.

"Nah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down. Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

"It's this way."

* * *

After discovering that the plasmavore was no longer in Stoker's office, the Doctor began pacing the hall. "Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" He stopped and noticed a MRI sign above Rose's head. "Ah. She's as clever as me. Almost."

Suddenly in the distance they heard screaming as the Judoon announced, "Find the non-human. Execute."

The Doctor grabbed his companion's shoulders. "Rose, stay here. I need time. You've got to hold them up."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?!" She lifted her hands to his.

He took a deep breath before saying, "Just forgive me for this. It could save a thousand lives. It means... Honestly it means... Oh you know..." And suddenly he was kissing her fiercely. It was just supposed to be a quick genetic transfer. That's it. Nothing more. But of course she had to sigh and part her lips. And of course he couldn't resist giving her lower lip a quick nip.

"Ahem." Martha cleared her throat, breaking them up.

"Ah. Um, Martha, stay and help Rose!" The Doctor gave a deep blush before running down the corridor.

"What was that all about then?" Martha asked a clearly embarrassed Rose.

"N-nothing," she whispered.

The other woman gave her a skeptical look and said, "That was nothing?"

* * *

As the Judoon made their way closer, Martha stood her ground. "Now listen, I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence."

The Judoon scanned her and announced, "Human." He then turned to scan Rose, "Human. Wait. Non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorise full scan." He pushed her against a wall, "What are you? What are you?" It seemed like forever before he finally finished his scan and said, "Confirm: species unknown with traces of human. Traces of facial contact with non-human as well. Continue the search. You will need this." He handed Rose a booklet.

"What's that for?"

"Compensation." The Judoon then took of in the direction the Doctor had run into.

* * *

Martha and Rose could not get past the giant aliens and when they did, the sight made both of them sick. "Scan him. Confirmation. Deceased," said the Judoon.

"NOOOO!" Rose shouted and tried to push her way to the Doctor's sprawled form.

"No, he can't be. Let me through. Let me see him." Martha tried to help Rose, but neither could get past.

"Stop. Case closed," The head alien announced.

"But it was her. She killed him. She did it. She murdered him," Martha screamed and pointed at the elderly woman.

"Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human!" Martha was shaking. She looked to Rose for help but the woman was just staring stoically at the Doctor's lifeless body.

Florence held up her hand. "Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued."

"But she's not! She assimi-" she stopped and grabbed Rose's arm before asking Florence, "Wait a minute. You drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?" Rose gasped as she caught on to what Martha was saying. She grabbed one of the Judoon's scanners and pointed it at the old woman.

"Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like."

"Non-human," proclaimed the Judoon.

"But... What?"

"Confirm analysis."

She began walking backwards. "Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha whispered in disgust as Rose bit back a sob.

The Judoon grabbed turned to the plasmavore. "Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well, she deserved it! Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

Rose finally made her way to the Doctor. Around her, she knew, was utter chaos. The plasmavore confessed to her crimes as her slab got fried by the Judoon. Rose heard Florence scream something about, "Burn with me!" before, she herself fried away. But Rose couldn't focus on that. She felt for the Doctor's pulse and neither heart was beating.

"Please, Doctor. Don't leave me. You're all I have left. Please, my Doctor. Regenerate! Come on!" Rose grabbed his lapels and shook him weakly. Rose finally began feeling the lack of oxygen in the hospital.

After shouting at the Judoon, Martha collapsed beside Rose and began performing CPR on the Doctor. Rose could feel herself drifting away as she whispered to Martha, "Two hearts..." Martha began beating on both sides of his chest before finally gasping and giving him her last bit of air. Slowly he, himself, gasped and began to wake up.

"The scanner. She did something," Martha rasped out.

The Doctor went to go disconnect the machine before making his was back to where Martha and Rose were lying. He placed a gently kiss to Martha's forehead before picking Rose up and carrying her into the hall, towards a window. "Come on, come on, come on, come on, please. Come on, Judoon, reverse it." He gave a weak smile when it began to rain. "It's raining, my Rose. It's raining on the moon."

* * *

Rose woke with a start. Frantically she looked around and realized she was on the jump seat in the TARDIS. "Doctor?" She yelled.

The Doctor peaked around the console. "Sleeping Beauty's awake then?"

"Oh my god." Rose launched herself across the room and into his arms. "Never do that to me again!"

"I'm sorry for scaring you. I never meant for her to actually get that far with my blood." He rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"What about Martha? Is she alright?"

"She's fine. I checked before I left."

"She saved your life, Doctor, I was useless." Rose smiled sadly, "I think she deserves a proper thank you."

"You were not useless, Rose Tyler," he scolded. "Now what exactly are you proposing?"

"Perhaps, we should take her on a trip. Just a quick trip somewhere."

"Well, I do need to test my new sonic screwdriver." He gave her a cheeky grin.

* * *

The Doctor and Rose watched Martha's squabbling family before they finally got her attention. When she finally caught up she said, "I went to the moon today."

"A bit more peaceful than down here," the Doctor said.

Martha stared in disbelief. "You never even told me who you are."

"The Doctor."

"What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that," Martha threw a grin to Rose.

"I'm a Time Lord."

She laughed. "Right! Not pompous at all, then."

"Rose and I just thought since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing, you might fancy a trip," he offered.

"What, into space?" Martha asked nervously.

"If you'd like," Rose told her.

"But I can't. I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad!"

Rose crossed her arms and said, "If it helps you at all, we can also travel in time."

"Get out of here!" Now she knew they were pulling her leg.

"We can!" The Doctor injected. "I'll prove it!" He grabbed Rose and took her inside the TARDIS.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Remember what Martha said when we first met her? She told us that we came up to her and I took off my tie while you offered her a chip."

* * *

Martha watched as the blue police box disappeared and then reappeared. The Doctor walked out readjusting his tie and Rose came our munching on some hot, salty chips.

"Told you," the Doctor said arrogantly.

"No, but, that was this morning. Did you? Oh, my God. You can travel in time." Martha squealed before turning serious. "But hold on. If you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks."

She nodded to the blue box, "And that's your spaceship?"

Rose answered before he could, "It's called the TARDIS. Time and Relative Dimension in Space." The Doctor looked at her proudly.

She walked around and laid her hand on the side, "Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. We'd be a bit intimate... "

The Doctor waggled his eyebrows at Rose before telling Martha, "Take a look."

"No, no, no." Martha backed out of the ship and back into the alley, "But it's just a box. But it's huge!" She ran back in and said, "How does it do that? It's wood. It's like a box with that room just rammed in." The Doctor turned and mouthed along with her, "It's bigger on the inside."

"Is it? I hadn't noticed. Right then, let's get going." The Doctor shut the door and went to the console.

"But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?" she asked, as she looked around her spacious surroundings.

"Well, sometimes we have guests. I mean, some friends, traveling alongside. But it's just us now. Better that way." He nudged Rose's shoulder. "Well, then. Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake. Ready?"

"No!" Martha gripped the console.

"Off we go!" The TARDIS dematerialized with a jolt.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy."

"Almost always is." Rose laughed.

"Welcome aboard, Miss Jones." The Doctor held out his hand to Martha.

She took his hand and said, "It's my pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

As the TARDIS left her spot in that alley Rose heard a gentle whisper, _"This is only the beginning Rose Tyler."_

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Shakespear Code.**_

**Please review :) xoxo**


	7. The Shakespeare Code Part 1

**A/N: I just have to say, I am so humbled by everyone's response to this story. I adore you all. Thank you so much to my followers (old and new), those who have favorited, and those who have left such kind and encouraging reviews! The Shakespeare Code is one of my favorite episodes from series 3 so I had the best time writing it! I really hope you guys like this chapter. **

**Quick note: My work schedule is changing this week, which means my writing/editing schedule is going to change. I'm sincerely hoping that this won't change how often I update but if for some reason it does, you know why! (It is also only temporary!) Never fear though, I won't be giving this story up :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Shakespeare Code. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

"But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?" Martha asked as the TARDIS rocked heavily. This was pure madness. Part of her thought this was a dream or maybe she had to much to drink at Leo's party. Even if it was a dream though, she did want to wake up!

The Doctor began twisting a knob on the side of the console. "Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything. Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Rose, hold that lever down." He nodded to the blonde on his left. "Hold on tight!" The TARDIS came to a sudden halt as Martha and Rose both lost their footing and fell to the floor, while the Doctor was able to catch himself on a coral strut.

"Blimey!" Martha exclaimed as she and Rose picked themselves up. "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed it." He ran over and handed both the ladies their jackets. "Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip, and one trip only. Outside this door, brave new world," he said, giving his temporary companion a soft smile as he leaned against the TARDIS doors.

"Where are we?"

"Take a look." He opened the door behind him. "After you."

* * *

"Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me. Oh, my God, we did it. We traveled in time. Where are we? No, sorry. I got to get used to this whole new language. When are we?" Martha asked after making her way outside.

The Doctor and Rose shared a knowing smile before he looked up and realized someone was about to empty their slop bucket from a window above. "Mind out!" he said as he pulled his companions back against the TARDIS.

"Gardez l'eau!" the man from above yelled as the contents from the bucket fell to the ground.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet." The Doctor looked disapprovingly. "Sorry about that."

Rose covered her nose and mouth. "Oh, that's disgusting!"

Martha scoffed. "I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift A+E. But are we safe?" she asked as her two new friends began to walk away. "I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can." he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies What have butterflies ever done to you?" He frowned at her.

Rose nudged his shoulder before turning to the other woman. "Trust me, Martha. You'll be just fine."

"What if, I don't know, what if I kill my grandfather?" She asked half seriously.

"Are you planning to?" the Doctor turned and asked her.

"No."

The Doctor continued to walk forward. "Well, then."

"And this is London?" she asked as she caught up.

"I think so. Round about 1599."

Martha suddenly thought of something."Oh, but hold on. Am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?

The Doctor shot a concerned glance to Rose before looking at Martha wide eyed. "Why would they do that?"

"Not exactly white," she pointed at her face, "in case you haven't noticed."

He shrugged. "I'm not even human. Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me."

"So Martha and I aren't gonna cause any riots the way we're dressed?" Rose asked jokingly.

The Doctor smiled as he thought of his first trip to the past with Rose. "Nah. Those were different times, Rose. You'd be surprised. Elizabethan England, not so different from your time. Look over there. They've got recycling." He pointed to a man shoveling horse manure before gesturing to two men talking by a water barrel. "Water cooler moment."

The passed a man shouting, "And the world will be consumed by flame."

Rose stopped at laid her hand on the man's arm. "You have no idea, mate."

The Doctor smirked and continued with his comparisons, "Global warming. Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to-" he grabbed both ladies hands and led them quickly around the corner. "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new. Just opened. Through, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetra decagon. Fourteen sides. Containing the man himself."

Martha looked completely shocked. "Whoa, you don't mean...?"

Rose looked confused as she whispered to the Doctor, "Who?"

Their new companion spoke before he could though. "Is Shakespeare in there?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" he said enthusiastically."Miss Jones, would you care to accompany Rose and myself to the theatre?" He held both arms out to the ladies on either side of him.

Martha grinned and took his arm. "Mr. Smith, I will."

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare," the Doctor said as he led them towards the Globe.

"Then I could get sectioned!" She laughed.

* * *

The Doctor, Rose, and Martha chose to watch the performance in the pit with the "common folk." It was tightly packed and the stench was horrible, but all the same, Martha thought it was an incredible experience. "That's amazing!" She giggled. "Just amazing. It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?" She nodded to the actors taking their bows.

"London never changes. What did you think?" he asked Rose.

"It was great! But I think I'm more of a Dickens girl." She gave him her tongue in teeth grin.

The Doctor gave laugh and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Good old Charlie boy."

"Where's Shakespeare? I want to see Shakespeare. Author! Author!" Martha yelled before looking at the Doctor nervously. "Do people shout that? Do they shout 'Author?'" Suddenly a man behind them began shouting Martha's chant as well, and before long the entire crowd was yelling, "Author! Author!"

"Well, they do now."

The crowd burst into applause as the man they had been chanting for made his way on stage. "He's a bit different from his portraits." Martha noticed.

As Shakespeare made his way around the stage and acknowledged the crowd, Rose felt a chill run up her spine and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Rose looked around the crowd but didn't notice anything that unusual. Except a woman. Up in one of the box seats. Obviously well off, but she was all alone. She was about to point the woman out to the Doctor but he spoke up first.

"Genius. He's a genius. The genius. The most human human there's ever been. Now we're going to hear him speak." The Doctor grinned like a schoolboy. "Always he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted to the crowd, causing them to burst into laughter.

"Oh well," he sighed dejectedly.

"You should never meet your heroes," Martha mumbled as Rose tried to hold back her giggles.

"You've got excellent taste, I'll give you that," Shakespeare proclaimed to the crowd. "Oh, that's a wig." He pointed to an audience member. "I know what you're all saying. Loves Labour's Lost, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops. Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon. Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." Rose felt another shiver as Shakespeare seemed affected by something as well. He suddenly went rigid and took a step back before saying, "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it Loves Labour's Won!"

* * *

"I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of Loves Labour's Won," Martha said as they filed out of the theatre.

"Exactly. The lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumours. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up. And no one knows why," the Doctor told her.

"Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get home and make a mint."

The Doctor shook his head. "No."

"That would be bad?" Martha asked with a smile.

"Very bad," Rose chimed in.

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"

Rose could see it in his eyes. He had no idea what had happened to the lost play, and he was dying to find out. "Yeah, Doctor. What happened to it?" She egged him on.

He looked at Martha and said, "Well, I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS, but I suppose we could stay a bit longer."

"I knew you couldn't resist the mystery!" Rose laughed. "There's no such thing as a quick trip with you, Doctor."

* * *

After asking around, the three were able to track the author at a local tavern called The Elephant. They quietly made their way upstairs and the Doctor immediately knocked on the door and bounded his way in. "Hello! Excuse me, not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"

"Oh, no. No, no, no. Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-" Shakespeare stopped at stared at the two women peaking out from behind the Doctor. "Hey, nonny nonny. Sit right down here next to me, ladies. "You two," he gestured to the men at his table, "get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

The older woman in the room smirked. "Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muses."

"Sweet ladies, such unusual clothes. So fitted." Shakespeare told Rose and Martha who were both blushing under his gaze. They took their offered seats and the Doctor possessively grabbed Rose's hand.

"Um, verily, forsooth, egads." Martha offered up.

"No, no, don't do that. Don't." The Doctor whispered to her before pulling out his psychic paper and showing it to Will. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS, this is Dame Rose Tyler," he nodded to the woman on his right, "and this is our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

"Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank," Shakespeare informed him.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh, that's very clever. That proves it. Absolute genius."

Martha looked confused and pointed to the paper. "No, it says so right there. Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, and Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank."

"Psychic paper," he explained. "Uh, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch." He put the wallet back in his pocket.

"I'll tell ya all about it later," Rose told her.

"Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade." Shakespeare leaned back and spoke to the Doctor and Rose, "Who are you exactly? You both are obviously paired. More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?"

The Doctor and Rose were trying to form responses to his comment about them being paired, when Martha snapped out, "What did you say?"

He looked slightly abashed. "Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric?"

She gave a slight laugh as she looked to the Doctor and Rose and said, "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

The Doctor rubbed his eyes. This was going to be a long night. "It's political correctness gone mad. Uh, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

A large man in expensive clothes came in at that moment and announced, "Excuse me! Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behaviour. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mister Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round," Shakespeare mumbled.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can't."

"Then tomorrow's performance is canceled," the large man informed him. Rose noticed that at the man's words, the young maid, still in the room, looked frightened and quickly exited.

"It's all go around here, isn't it?" Martha muttered. Neither she, nor the Doctor, had paid the maid any attention.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, Love's Labours Won will never be played." The man said before dramatically leaving the room.

"Who was he?" Rose asked Shakespeare.

He rolled his eyes. "Lynley. He is the official censor, from the Lord Chamberlain's office."

"Well then, mystery solved. That's Love's Labour's Won over and done with." Martha shrugged. "Thought it might be something more, you know, more mysterious."

Out of nowhere they heard a man's cry as a woman yelled, "Help me!"

* * *

The four rushed outside to find the man from before staggering as copious amounts of water came spewing from his mouth.

Rose took a step back. "What the hell!?"

"It's that Lynley bloke," said Martha.

"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor said to himself before rushing towards the man. "Leave it to me. I'm a doctor."

Martha followed. "So am I, near enough." Rose gasped and felt another shiver as Lynley dropped to the ground. The Doctor got up and began looking around but Martha stayed by the man's side. "Got to get the heart going. Mr. Lynley, come on. Can you hear me? You're going to be all right." Martha tried clearing the man's airways but instead another gush of water came out of his mouth. "What the hell is that?"

The Doctor dropped down next to her and examined Lynley's body. "I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water. He drowned and then, I don't know, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow," he whispered to Martha before standing and addressing the woman from The Elephant. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

The woman agreed just as the young maid Rose had scene leave before Lynley, spoke up, "I'll do it, ma'am."

Rose felt another brief chill as she swore the maid seemed to give a slight smile. She quickly made her way over to the Doctor and Martha. "Alright. None of that made any sense," she told them.

Martha agreed and asked the Doctor, "Why are you telling them that?"

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

She nodded but then asked, "Okay, what was it then?"

He took a deep breath and stared at both his companions. "Witchcraft."

"Of course it is." Rose said sarcastically. "With Dickens we get ghosts and with Shakespeare we get witchcraft. What's next then, Doctor? Should we solve a murder mystery with Agatha Christie?"

* * *

After they solemnly made their way upstairs, the woman from before came in and told them, "I got you a room, Sir Doctor. You, Dame Rose, and Miss Jones are just across the landing."

"What was your name?" Rose asked kindly.

"Dolly Bailey."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Dolly."

"My pleasure, your ladyship." Dolly gave a nod of her head and exited the room.

"Poor Lynley." Shakespeare sat down and began rubbing his head. "So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?" He looked to Martha for an explanation.

"Where a woman can do what she likes," she said to him.

"And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," the Doctor replied enigmatically.

Shakespeare smiled and nodded his head. "A trite reply. Yeah, that's what I'd do. And I must say, Dame Rose, there is something of the wolf about you. You burn like the sun."

Rose turned deathly pale and took an automatic step back. "I-I don't know what you mean." The Doctor was shocked by Shakespeare's words. What _did _he mean?

Shakespeare paid them no mind and turned his attention to Martha. "And you? You look at them like you're surprised they exist. They're as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me."

"I think we should say goodnight." Martha said to the Doctor and Rose. Looking decidedly uncomfortable, she left.

"I must work. I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and why this constant performance of your's." Shakespeare looked at the papers littering his table.

The Doctor placed his arm and around Rose and said, "All the world's a stage."

"Hmm. I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor," he said, looking impressed.

The Doctor held back a smile. "Nighty night, Shakespeare."

* * *

The Doctor and Rose entered their tiny room and discovered Martha looking around, candle in hand. "It's not exactly five star, is it?"

Rose shrugged. "Trust me, we've had worse."

"I haven't even got a toothbrush."

"Oh. Uh... He began searching his pockets before pulling a tooth brush out and handing it to Martha. "Contains Venusian spearmint"

"So, who's going where? I mean, there's only the two tiny beds." While Martha liked the Doctor and Rose and found her self completely trusting them, she still found it a little odd to be sharing such close quarters with them.

"Oh, you can have your own. Rose and I have shared prison cells smaller than this. We'll manage."

"Seriously? You were in prison?" Martha looked at them nervously.

Rose giggled and told her, "Occupational hazard." The Doctor flopped down on one of the beds as she sat down near his feet.

Martha shifted closer and sat the candle down before saying, "So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's all a little bit Harry Potter."

The Doctor grinned. "Wait till you read book seven! Oh. I cried."

"Don't say anything!" Rose warned. "I'm still on book six."

"But is it real, though?" Martha asked excitedly. "I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

"Course it isn't!" The Doctor scoffed.

"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break." She laughed.

"What is it really then, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be. Are you going to stand there all night?" He turned his attention to Martha, who was still standing near their bed.

"Oi! I don't know what we're supposed to be doing. Are we really just gonna stay the night here?"

"For right now, yes."

"Alright then." She went to lay down on the bed next to their's. "Night, you two."

"Good night, Martha," Rose told her before standing. "Budge up a bit, will you." She nudged the Doctor as she laid down.

The Doctor scooted down and turned on his side, facing Rose. "There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No, there's something I'm missing, Rose. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it." He whispered, not wanting Martha to overhear and worry.

Rose turned and faced him as well. "It's definitely something to do with Shakespeare and Love's Labour's Won. Of that I'm sure. When we were at the theatre, as he was announcing that they would be putting it on, I had the strangest chill run up my spine. Then, after Lynely died it happened again. It's all connected somehow, I'm sure. And did you notice the maid who offered to call the constable. I'm telling you, Doctor. There's something fishy about her." Rose breathed a sigh of relief at finally being able to share her concerns with him.

"This is why I need you, Rose." He reached for her hand. "You always say the right things. Don't worry. We'll connect the dots." She smiled at his praise and squeezed his hand before blowing out the candle.

* * *

A few hours later and both Rose and Martha had managed to fall asleep. The Doctor however remained awake, trying to piece together everything Rose had told him. He was also incredibly worried about what Shakespeare had told Rose. How could he have possibly sensed the Bad Wolf in Rose? The Doctor had removed it from her and died because of it. Or did Shakespeare mean something else? He was a brilliant man who was always using various metaphors. Perhaps he could get a moment alone with the man tomorrow and ask him.

The Doctor's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a woman screaming. He immediately jumped out of bed and was followed by, the now awake, Rose and Martha, as he ran down the hall. Shakespeare drowsily lifted his head off his table and asked, "What? What was that?" as they entered the room he was in.

Rose gasped at the sight of Dolly Bailey lying on the ground. "Oh my god. Dolly?" She crouched down next to her. "Dolly, can you hear me?"

The Doctor knelt next to her. "Her heart gave out. She died of fright."

Martha had gone straight to the window and was truly terrified by what she saw. "Doctor?" she called out with a shaky voice.

He moved to her side. "What did you see?"

She took a deep breath and said, "A witch."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Shakespeare Code Part 2**_

**Please review 3 xoxo**


	8. The Shakespeare Code Part 2

**A/N: Whew. I am so sorry about the wait. I'm still adjusting to my new work schedule and I am absolutely exhausted. ****_But _****as a huge thank you to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such wonderful reviews, I'm giving you an extra long chapter! I really hope you like this one, cause as tired as I am, I loved writing it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Shakespeare Code. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

A few hours later, as the sun was finally rising, the three time travelers sat down with William Shakespeare. They had already called once more on the coroner and had Dolly's body taken away and the Bard wasn't taking it very well. "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place when we all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light," the Doctor muttered.

Shakespeare looked impressed. "I might use that."

"You can't. It's someone else's."

"But the thing is," Martha spoke up, "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright, and they were both connected to you."

"My thoughts exactly," Rose told her.

"You're accusing me?" Shakespeare looked between both women.

"No, but I saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches," Martha said to him.

"I have? When was that?" He looked at her, confused.

"Not, not quite yet," the Doctor said to Martha quietly.

"No one's blaming you, Will," Rose told the author, sympathetically. He _had_ just lost a dear friend. "We're just saying that these deaths are connected to you. It's a little odd, that's all.

Shakespeare nodded in agreement before saying, "Peter Streete spoke of witches."

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

The Doctor thought on his words. "The architect," he muttered, making eye contact with Rose. "Hold on. The architect! The architect! The Globe! Come on!" The Doctor jumped from his seat and ran out the door, and the others quickly followed.

* * *

Once inside the theatre, Martha joined Shakespeare on the stage while Rose stood by the Doctor in the pit. Now that it was void of people, Rose was truly able to appreciate the splendor of the Globe. She watched the Doctor as he looked around, counting. "The columns there, right? Fourteen sides."

"What's the point of fourteen sides, Doctor?" Rose asked curiously.

He shrugged and admitted, "I don't know. I've always wondered, but I never asked. Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well," Shakespeare answered.

"Hhmm. The same Peter Streete who spoke of witches..." Rose whispered to the Doctor.

"Fourteen. Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen."

"There's fourteen lines in a sonnet," Martha offered.

"So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design." The Doctor began pacing and running his hands through his hair. "Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets. Oh, my head. Tetra decagon. Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theatre!" Shakespeare said.

"You don't really believe that." Rose shook her head and moved closer to the stage. "When people go to the theatre, they go to escape. They go to live someone else's life, if only for a couple hours. For some people that's the only true happiness they might enjoy, for who knows how long!"

The Doctor smiled proudly. "Rose is right, Will. A theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy. Change them." He stopped and Rose realized a light bulb was going off in his head. "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. But if you exaggerate that... " He turned to resume his pacing.

Martha grinned and said, "It's like your police box. Small wooden box with all that power inside."

"Oh." The Doctor turned to his temporary companion. "Oh, Martha Jones, I like you. Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, lost his mind," Shakespeare informed him.

"Why? What happened?" she asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

The Doctor looked up. "Where is he now?"

"Bedlam."

Rose gasped, recognizing the term. Her mum and Bev would often say that the Powell Estate gave Bedlam a run for it's money. The poor man. Martha wasn't familiar and asked, "What's Bedlam?"

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse," he explained to her.

"We're going to go there. Right now." The Doctor nodded to Rose and Martha as he began to walk away. "Come on."

"Wait!" Shakespeare called out as he began to run after them. "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand." After leaving some instructions with a couple of his actors he caught up with Martha. "So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctors, writers, actors."

Martha smirked. "This country's ruled by a woman."

"Ah, she's royal. That's God's business. Though you are a royal beauty."

Martha put her hands up and stopped him. "Whoa, Nelly. I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

"But, Martha, this is Town," he told her.

The Doctor turned back to them, with Rose right behind. "Come on. We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor? " Shakespeare eyed the Time Lord up and down, causing Rose to burst out laughing.

The Doctor frowned at his companion's mirth and said, "Oh, fifty seven academics just punched the air. Now move!"

"I think our Will would fit in quite well in the 51st century. Don't you think?" Rose whispered with delight.

He granted her a small grin. "Clearly ahead of his time."

"Could you imagine if Jack was here?"

"Ah. That would just be..." He shivered. "Let's just be glad he's not!"

"I miss him, Doctor," Rose said quietly. "We never talk about him anymore. The last thing you said about him was that he was busy rebuilding the Earth. Is that true? Or did he really die on Satellite 5?"

The Doctor audibly swallowed as he tried to think of what to say. "Rose," he sighed, "I was telling you the truth. He _was_ busy rebuilding the Earth. But things with his timelines are complicated. We can't... we're not meant to be in his life right now. I'm sure someday we'll see him again. But for now we just can't. Can you trust me on this, Rose?"

"I suppose," Rose told him, looking slightly defeated.

The Doctor slowed his steps and grabbed his companion's hands. "I'm sorry. I know that's not what you want to hear right now. But can we just focus on the task at hand?"

Rose nodded her head and gave a small smile. She was glad to know that her friend wasn't really dead, like she had feared. But the fact that she couldn't see him hurt. He had been popping up in her dreams a lot lately, making her miss him even more.

* * *

After arriving at Bethlehem Hospital, the Keeper led them to Peter Streete's cell. The stench of the place was horrible and dirt and grim clung to the walls. It was no matter it was so filled with patients. IT's not like anyone could actually recover from any sort of mental illness while there.

"Does my Lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for you. Mad dog in Bedlam," the Keeper said, almost proudly.

"No, I don't!" the Doctor growled at the man.

"Well, wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies."

After the Keeper of the Hospital walked away, Martha turned to Shakespeare with disgust written all over her face. "So this is what you call a hospital, yeah? Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry? And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia," Shakespeare defended.

"But you're clever. Do you honestly think this place is any good?" Martha asked.

"I've been mad. I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

Martha had a hard time imagining the brilliant Shakespeare locked in a place like the one they were in. "Mad in what way?"

"You lost your son," the Doctor stated.

"My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there," Shakespeare told them.

Rose was immediately filled with compassion for the author. "That must have been horrible for you. I'm sorry."

"I didn't know. I'm sorry too." Martha apologized, feeling horribly guilty.

"It made me question everything. The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be." He paused and contemplated what he just said. "Oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down," The Doctor told him.

"Maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

The Doctor just shrugged but Rose told him. "I like it! Definitely write it down."

Shakespeare took her free hand and placed a kiss on top. "I think I shall, Dame Rose."

The moment was interrupted by the Keeper shouting, "This way, my lord!"

* * *

"They can be dangerous, my lord. Don't know their own strength," the Keeper told them as they entered Streete's cell.

"I think it helps if you don't whip them. Now get out!" the Doctor ordered the man before slowly walking towards the hunched over man covered in rags. "Peter? Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him," Shakespeare informed them sadly.

Rose moved to stand next to the Doctor and said, "Peter can you hear me?"

The Doctor moved his hand to the man's shoulder and once again asked, "Peter?" This time Peter's head shot straight up as he made eye contact with the Time Lord. The Doctor moved his finger's to his temples and gently entered Peter's mind. His mind was a jumbled mess so while projecting soothing thoughts towards the man he said, "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past. One year ago. Let your mind go back. Back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A Winter's Tale. Let go. That's it. That's it, just let go." He eased Peter onto his back so the man could lay down. Then, like speaking to a child he commanded, "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered. They whispered," he told them as his fingers twitched near his ears. "Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. Their design! The fourteen walls. Always fourteen. When the work was done they snapped poor Peter's wits."

The Doctor knelt back down in front of him. "Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city? Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

When the man wouldn't answer Rose moved to sit next to him on the bed and said gently, "Peter? My name's Rose and I need you tell me where the witches are. Can you do that, sweetheart?"

The Doctor was marveled as Peter immediately answered Rose saying, "All Hallows Street."

"Too many words." A witch appeared next to them.

Rose let out a small scream as the Doctor pulled her up and shoved her behind him. At the same time Martha questioned aloud, "What the hell?"

The witch looked at Peter and held up her hand. "Just one touch of the heart."

"No!" The Doctor shouted at her. But it was too late. She placed her hand on his chest and Peter Streete died.

"Witch! I'm seeing a witch!" Shakespeare muttered.

"Now, who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals," the witch taunted.

Martha ran to the door of the cell and screamed, "Let us out! Let us out!"

"That's not going to work," the Doctor told her. "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" the witch asked.

The Doctor stepped forward. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers."

"Doctor..." Rose warned as Martha shouted, "No! Don't!"

Shakespeare looked at the witch nervously. "Doctor, can you stop her?"

"No mortal has power over me."

The Doctor watched her warily. "Oh, but there's a power in words. If I can find the right one. If I can just _know _you."

"None on Earth has knowledge of us."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here. Now think, think, think. Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy. Ah! Fourteen! That's it! Fourteen! The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration!" The Doctor stopped and pointed at the witch. "Creature, I name you Carrionite!" With a scream, the Carrionite vanished in a slow flash of light.

"What did you do?" Martha asked breathlessly.

"I named her. The power of a name. That's old magic," he told her. And Rose couldn't help but think of how that statement applied to him.

"But there's no such thing as magic."

"Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare questioned.

The Doctor looked at Rose grimly. "The end of the world."

"Ah. So the usual then?" Rose took his hand and gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

* * *

Once they made in back to Shakespeare's room at The Elephant, the author went straight to splash his face with some water. If he was being honest with himself, he was trying to wake up from whatever dream had taken hold.

The Doctor, not paying the others and mind, paced about the room. "The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

Shakespeare turned to face him. "Well, I'm going for real."

"But what do they want?" asked Martha the Doctor.

He moved to lean against the table. "A new empire on Earth. A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?"

"William Shakespeare," Rose said quietly, looking at the Doctor.

"Yep! I'm looking at the man with the words."

"Me?" he questioned. "But I've done nothing."

Martha finally caught up with the other two. Words had power! She looked at Shakespeare. "Hold on, though. What were you doing last night, when that Carrionite was in the room?"

"Finishing the play," he defended.

"What happens on the last page?" the Doctor asked.

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual. Except," he looks down before making eye contact with the Doctor, "those last few lines. Funny thing is, I don't actually remember writing them."

"That's it." The Doctor moved closer to Shakespeare. "They used you. They gave you the final words like a spell, like a code. Love's Labour's Won. Oh! Rose knew it all along! It's a weapon. The right combination of words, spoken at the right place, with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" he quoted Hamlet as he told the other man, "And yes, you can have that."

* * *

After finding All Hallows Street on a fairly inaccurate map, the Doctor sent William Shakespeare to stop his play while he took Martha and Rose to find the Carrionites. "All Hallows Street, but which house?" the Doctor asked once they arrived at their destination.

"The thing is, though, am I missing something here? The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me. I'm living proof." Martha stated and looked to her new friends for some confirmation that everything would be alright.

"I understand what you're thinking, Martha," Rose told her empathetically. "I asked a similar question once upon a time. But that's just it. Time can constantly be rewritten. Things are changing all the time. I know it's confusing but you're just going to have to trust us, yeah?"

"But I still don't get it!"

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair with exasperation. He thought Rose had done a decent job of explaining. "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux? I know. Back to the Future." He stopped in front of Martha. "It's like Back to the Future."

"The film?" she asked.

"No, the novelisation," he voice dripped with sarcasm. "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he starts fading away. Oh my God, am I going to fade?"

"You, Rose, and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" The Doctor looked around as a door in front of them suddenly opened on it's own accord.

"Uh, Doctor," Rose moved closer to him. "I think you mean, _witch _house."

* * *

The three slowly made their way inside the house. Rose was beginning to feel chilled, once more and now knew for certain that they were in the right place. Once up stairs they found the younger looking Carrionite. "I take it we're expected," the Doctor announced.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," the creature responded.

"Right then, it's my turn. I know how to do this," Martha told them smugly as she pointed at the witch. "I name thee Carrionite!" When nothing happened, she looked at the Doctor. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

The power of a name works only once," the Carrionite told her. "Observe. I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." With a gasp, Martha collapsed. Thankfully the Doctor was standing close enough that he was able to ease her to the ground.

"What have you done?" He shouted while checking for a pulse.

"Only sleeping, alas. It's curious. The name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time. And as for you, Sir Doctor." She pointed, waiting for the Time Lord to collapse. But nothing happened. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on me," he warned as he moved to stand next to his companion.

"Never said it would," she grinned and turned her gaze to the woman next to him. "Cold and alone, his faithful admirer, I name thee Rose Tyler!" Rose gasped as another chill ran up her spine, she collapsed to her knees, but that was it. Nothing else happened. She remained conscious. "You're hiding your name as well!" the Carrionite said angrily.

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure why the naming didn't work on Rose but at the moment, he was just thankful it didn't. "Oh, big mistake. Because she keeps me fighting." He stalked closer and demanded, "The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"

"The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare," the Doctor whispered.

The Carrionite moved closer to the window. "His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?" the Doctor questioned.

"Just the three. But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic," she told him with a grin.

The Doctor walked and stood right in front of her. "Hmm. Busy schedule. But first you've got to get past me."

"Oh, that should be a pleasure, considering my enemy has such a handsome shape." The Carrionite was just a breath away as she traced her fingers over the Doctor's sideburn's in a teasing manner.

"Now, that's one form of magic that's definitely not going to work on me."

"Oh, we'll see."

"Oi! Back off!" Rose finally made it to her feet and pushed the witch away from the Doctor.

The Doctor heard a snip and asked the Carrionite, "What did you do?"

She held up a few of his hairs and said, "Souvenir."

"Well, give it back!" he shouted as she threw her arms up and flew backwards out the window. "Well, that's just cheating."

"What is she going to do, call in her flying monkeys?" Rose asked as she watched the witch hovering in the air.

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets," the Carrionite told him as she wrapped his hair around a small doll.

"Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module."

Rose felt another cold sensation and began to get nervous. "Doctor, what's she doing?!"

"What use is your science now?" The Carrionite asked before plunging her scissors into the doll's chest. With a scream of pain the Doctor fell into Rose's arms as the witch flew away.

Martha woke to see the Doctor's collapse and rushed to his and Rose's side. "Oh my God, Doctor!"

Rose fell to the ground as his weight became to much for her. "Come on now, wake up. You're really heavy and I know you have two hearts."

He peaked on of his eyes open and gave her a cheeky grin. "No foolin' you is there?" He stood up slowly before doubling over. "Ah! I've only got one heart working. How do you people cope? I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Rose did as she was told. "Dah! Other side. Now, on the back, on the back. Left a bit. Dah, lovely. There we go." He stood up straight as both hearts raced. "Badda booma! Well, what are you two standing there for? Come one! The Globe!"

* * *

When they made it close enough to see The Globe, they saw a storm brewing over the theatre. They realized that Shakespeare had not been able to stop the show. The made their way in through the backdoor and found the man himself leaning against the wall.

"Stop the play. I think that was it. Yeah, I said, stop the play!" the Doctor shouted at him.

"I hit my head," was his excuse.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald. I think that's my cue!" the Doctor said after hearing more screams from the stage.

They ran on stage and found they place in utter chaos. A strong wind had taken hold as the Carrionites began to escape and fly about. "What do we do, Doctor!?" Rose shouted over the noise.

The Doctor pulled a retreating Shakespeare closer and said, "Come on, Will! History needs you!"

"But what can I do?"

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

The Doctor clutched his arm tighter. "The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."

He shook his head. "But what words? I have none ready!"

"You're William Shakespeare!" the Doctor exclaimed.

"But these Carrionite phrases, the need such precision."

"Trust yourself," he encouraged. "When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they, like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm. Words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words. Do it. Improvise."

Shakespeare took a deep breath and began, "Close up this din of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot. You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite spectres, cease your show! Between the points-" He paused and looked to the Doctor for help.

"Seven six one three nine oh!"

With that he continued, "Seven six one three nine oh! Banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee-" He was stuck. He needed a rhyme and couldn't think of anything.

The Doctor didn't know what to say but Martha suddenly shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Rose and the Doctor laughed and repeated her, followed by Shakespeare.

"Good old JK!" The Doctor grinned.

The Carrionites began to get sucked inside the tornado filling the theatre. Suddenly the stage door's opened and all the pages of the play got sucked in as well. When the storm died down the audience slowly applauded. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and ran with her off the stage while Martha stayed behind and took a bow with Shakespeare and the rest of the cast.

The Doctor and Rose found the Carrionites stuck in their own globe, trying to claw their way out. Rose sighed with relief when the Doctor informed her that there would be no way for them to escape now.

* * *

As the next morning dawned, the two were just finishing their search of the theatre to make sure the play really had disappeared with the Carrionites. The Doctor was shifting through the prop room when Rose finally worked up the nerve to ask, "Doctor? Why didn't the naming work on me back on All Hallows Street? I mean, my name _is_ Rose Tyler."

He shrugged. "I really don't know, Rose. And I wish I did. Perhaps it's the same reason it didn't kill Martha, you're out of your time."

"Yeah but I'm from the same time as she is." She began twisting her hands nervously.

"True but you've been a time traveler for a while now. That changes things."

"But what about what Shakespeare said after we first met him? He looked me in the eyes and told me that there was something about the wolf in me, and that I burned like the sun. The werewolf in Scotland told me the same thing." Rose gave an audible swallow.

The Doctor looked up at her, concerned. "When was that?"

"Before you came to rescue us. What did they mean though, Doctor? It scares me." Her voice was uncharacteristically small and it broke his hearts.

"Rose, for a brief moment in time you were the most powerful being in all of creation. That's bound to leave an impression. But I promise you, you're safe. You have nothing to worry about."

"It's just, the last time... with all that Bad Wolf stuff... I lost you. You died. And I realize that it's possible it might happen again while I'm with you, and that won't change things for me and you, but still... I would like to keep _this _you for as long as possible." Rose blushed.

"Course you do! I rather like this version of me." He picked up some sort of animal skull and tried to cheer her up. "Look! Doesn't this remind you of a Sycorax?" "

Rose granted him a small giggle and said, "Come on. Let's go fetch Martha."

* * *

"Ah there you two are!" The Doctor exclaimed when he found Shakespeare and Martha sitting rather close on the stage. "How's your head?" he asked the other man.

"Still aching."

"Here, I got you this." The Doctor handed him the ruff collar her had found amongst the props. "Neck brace. Wear that for a few days till it's better, although you might want to keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"It's all gone. We looked everywhere but it all went with the Carrionites," Rose informed them.

"My lost masterpiece." Shakespeare sulked.

Martha offered, "You could write it up again."

"Yeah, better not, Will. There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten." The Doctor told him.

"Oh, but I've got new ideas. Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

Martha looked shocked and questioned, "Hamnet?"

"That's him," Shakespeare confirmed.

"Ham-net?"

"What's wrong with that?" he questioned defensively.

"Anyway," the Doctor broke them up, "time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity," he gestured to the trapped Carrionites, "and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."

Shakespeare stared at him smugly. "You mean travel on through time and space."

"You what?" He looked at him startled. Very few people actually figured that out.

"You're from another world like the Carrionites, and Martha is from the future. And Rose, well she's a little tougher to asses, but I imagine that no matter where she is from, her place is at your side." Shakespeare granted the blonde woman a small, knowing smile. "It's not hard to work out."

"That's incredible. You are incredible," the Doctor praised.

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor. Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady." The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise and then had told hold back his mirth when the Bard started with, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate-"

He was interrupted by the shouts of two of his actors. "Will, you'll never believe it. She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town. She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked the two men.

"Her Majesty. She's here," they informed as a fanfare began to play.

The Doctor smiled happily as the queen of the time entered. "Queen Elizabeth the First!" he exclaimed.

"Doctor?" She looks at him with anger in her eyes.

"What?"

"My sworn enemy."

"What did you do to her?" Rose whispered loudly.

Queen Elizabeth's eyes darted to her. "And his evil temptress, Rose Tyler?"

Now it was Rose's turn to exclaim, "What?"

"Off with their heads!" the queen commanded.

"What!?" The condemned pair shouted in unison.

"Never mind what, just run!" Martha stood quickly and made for the stage door. "See you, Will, and thanks." Once they were outside and closer to the TARDIS she shouted, "What have you done to upset her?"

"How should I know? Haven't even met her yet. That's time travel for you." They made it to the ship and he quickly unlocked the door and let Martha in while he stayed outside for a moment and grinned at Rose. "Still, can't wait to find out."

"Me either!" She gave him a tongue in teeth grin. "She said I was an evil temptress!"

He waggled his eyebrows. "That's something to look forward to. Ooo!" He noticed the pikemen were closer now and about to shoot arrows at them. He shoved Rose inside and slammed the door shut just an arrow thud into it.

Rose gave a small giggle as he began to pilot the TARDIS into the Vortex. "You know, we don't have the best track record with royalty."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Gridlock.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	9. Gridlock Part 1

**A/N: Wow. Your resonse to this story has been amazing. Thank you so much for all the encouragement! And big thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such lovely reviews! I had originally planned to do Gridlock as one long chapter but changed my mind and cut it up at the last minute. Hope you don't mind! And I hope you like Part 1 cause I am really excited for Gridlock Part 2 :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Gridlock. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

"Just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home. Although I suppose we could stretch the definition. Take one trip into past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?" The Doctor asked Martha after leaving Elizabethan England.

"No complaints from me!" Martha exclaimed.

Rose sat down on the jump seat and asked, "Where're we gonna take her, Doctor?"

"How about a different planet? "

Martha's eyes lit up. "Can we go to yours?"

The Doctor adverted his gaze and focused on the console. "Ah, there's plenty of other places."

"Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look. What's it like?"

Rose frowned and quietly tried to warn the new girl, "Martha, don't."

The Doctor didn't hear her warnings and just gave an off handed response, "Well, it's beautiful, yeah."

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?" Martha looked at him excitedly.

"I suppose it is." He sniffed.

"What about Barcelona? The planet, I mean. You've been promising to take me there for ages, Doctor," Rose tried to suggest.

But Martha just continued, "Great big temples and cathedrals!"

"Yeah." Rose could see the sadness in his eyes. The Doctor hated to talk about his home planet and Rose could count the number of times he did on one hand.

"Lots of planets in the sky?"

The Doctor lifted his head as a small smile played on his lips. "The sky's a burnt orange, with the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow." Rose could see the images he was describing perfectly. Oh, it was beautiful. She wished with all of her heart that the Doctor could go back there. And she was very glad that at the moment, he still had her back to her and missed the two tears that fell down her face.

Martha stared in wonder and asked almost breathlessly, "Can we go there?"

And just like that the Doctor switched back to his manic old self. Rose half expected him to throw on his leather jacket and begin speaking in a Northern accent. "Nah! Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home. Instead, this is much better." He began fiddling with the controls as the TARDIS lurched. "Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

As he moved to open the front door, Rose grabbed his hand and gave a gentle squeeze. The Doctor knew instantly what she was trying to tell him. _"There's me."_

* * *

The three exited the TARDIS and found themselves in a small alley as rain poured down on them. "Oh, that's nice. Time Lord version of dazzling," Martha complained.

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone. Come on, let's get under cover!" The Doctor took both women's hands and ran from to find shelter from the storm.

When they rounded the corner, they found themselves in some sort of ghetto. The Doctor scratched his head. "This isn't right. Where are we?"

Martha clutched her jacket around herself, even tighter. "Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon."

"Hold on, hold on. Let's have a look." The Doctor walked up to a monitor and used the sonic to turn it on.

A woman appeared on the static filled screen saying,**_"And the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway." _**An image of the New Earth Rose remembered, appeared on the screen.

"Oh, that's more like it," he exclaimed. "That's the view we had last time. This must be the lower levels, down in the base of the tower. Some sort of under-city."

"Reminds me of my childhood." Rose grinned.

Martha looked around in disgust. "You've brought me to the slums?"

"Much more interesting. It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city," the Doctor told her, his voice filled with exuberance.

"All the stupid apes with their telly and beans on toast?" Rose joked.

"Absolutely!"

Martha just shook her head, trying not to smile. "You two would enjoy anything.

"That's us! Ah, the rain's stopping. Better and better."

"Wait, when you said that it reminds you of your childhood, what did you mean, Rose?" She asked the blonde.

Rose suddenly froze and found herself not wanting to talk about her past. She was still feeling the loss of her mum and the wound was fresh in her heart. "Oh. Um... yeah. Well, I grew up on a council estate and it wasn't the nicest of places. Not that bad though."

"Really?" she looked at her, surprised. She had known a few girls from different estates and they were nothing like Rose. "Which one was it?"

"I'm not trying to be rude or anything, Martha, but I'd rather not talk about it," Rose said stiffly before turning to walk away. Martha tried to follow after her but the Doctor just grabbed her arm and shook his head at her. Rose only made it a few steps before the stalls all around her began to open and the citizens on New Earth vied for business.

"Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy. You want Happy."

"Customers. Customers! We've got customers!"

"We're in business. Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read."

"Happy, Happy, lovely happy Happy!"

"Anger. Buy some Anger."

"Get some Mellow. Makes you feel all bendy and soft all day long."

"Don't go to them. They'll rip you off. Do you want some happy?"

Rose found the herself completely overwhelmed and quickly scuttled back to the Doctor's side. "What the hell are they going on about?"

Martha frowned in dismay and asked, "Are they selling drugs?"

"I think they're selling moods," was the Doctor's response.

"Same thing, isn't it?" she muttered.

A woman dressed in rags slowly made her way towards the market stalls as the vendors all tried to get her business. She made her way up to one of the stalls and the lady there asked, "And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," she responded, lifelessly.

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much do you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's a swine. Try this. Forget Forty three. That's two credits." The woman paid her dues and took a small patch from the vendor.

After watching the whole exchange the Doctor walked up to her. "Sorry, but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off." She shrugged.

"Yeah, but they might drive back," he stated, obviously.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end," She told him with wide, sad eyes. "I've lost them."

Rose took a step towards her. "They're not exactly lost, though. You said it yourself, they're on the motorway. They'll come back to visit, ya."

"She's right. They can't have gone far. You could find them." He realized then that she wasn't listening and went to stick the patch on her neck. "No. No, no, don't."

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked, pleasantly.

The Doctor informed her, "Your parents. Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

"Are they? That's nice. I'm sorry, I won't keep you." She gave them all a smile before turning and walking away.

The Doctor and Rose both turned to watch her progress. Martha stood behind and asked, "So that's the human race five billion years in the future. Off their heads on chemicals."

Just as the Doctor was about to respond he heard Martha scream. He and Rose both turned to find that a man had grabbed Martha and was pointing a gun at her, while another woman held a gun towards them. The man looked at the Doctor and said with sincerity, "I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all."

The Doctor and Rose both held their hands up in surrender and tried to ease closer to their friend. "No, let her go! I'm warning you, let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!" The Doctor shouted at them.

As the man backed Martha into an open green door, the woman with him cried, "I'm sorry!" before shutting and locking the door.

The Doctor was quickly able to sonic the lock as he shoved open the door with Rose hot on his heels. Unfortunately by the time they made it back outside Martha was nowhere to be seen and a vehicle, that they presumed she was in, was speeding away.

* * *

Without a word the Doctor stalked back to the stalls and pounded on the nearest one. The same lady who sold the woman Forget opened immediately. "Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy Happy?"

"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?" he asked.

A vendor behind them answered, "They've taken her to the motorway."

"Looked like carjackers to me."

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again," another vendor piped in.

"Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"He kept on saying that they needed three. What did he mean by that?" Rose asked the woman closest to her.

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults," the vendor responded.

The Doctor locked his gaze with her's. "This motorway. How do I get there?

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You canna miss it. Tell you what," she called after the already retreating forms of the Doctor and Rose, "how about some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my loves."

"Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags," he told them all.

"Why's that, then?"

"Because as soon as I've found her, alive and well. And I will find her alive and well. Then I'm coming back, and this street is closing tonight!" Rose flinched at the sound of his anger. Very rarely did he get like this and she always found it a little frightening. He was the best man she knew and he shouldn't have to put so much weight on his shoulders.

* * *

The Doctor found another green door, leading to the motorway and went to work on sonicing the lock. Rose wanted to talk to him but didn't know what to say. This whole trip was turning out to be disastrous. Thankfully, he got the door open and they found themselves on small balcony overlooking he motorway. The entire place was jammed pack in every direction with almost identical cars. The exhaust fumes were becoming to much as Rose began to gasp for breath. Even the Doctor, with his respiratory bypass, was struggling with a coughing fit.

Just then the car nearest the balcony opened, revealing a tall man wearing a WW2 flying jacket and helmet, with goggles, and a white scarf wrapped around his face. "Hey! You daft little street struts. What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in. Come on!" he said to them in a thick Irish accent. Once they were inside he turned to the dark haired woman in the front seat. "Did you ever see the like?"

The Doctor and Rose were both gasping for breath as the woman placed an oxygen mask on each of them. "Here you go."

"Just standing there, breathing it in," the man stated as he began to unwrap the scarf covering his face. Rose tried to hide her shock when the man revealed himself to be a cat. He paid her no mind though and continued speaking, "There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet."

"Oh, you're making it up." The woman rolled her eyes.

He sat down in the driver's seat. "A fifty foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking that nose."

"Oh, stop it. That's disgusting."

"What," he laughed, "did you never pick your nose?"

She focused ahead. "Bran, we're moving!"

"Right. I'm there. I'm on it." He shifted gears and drove the car for a short distance. When they stopped he turned around. "Twenty yards. We're having a good day. And who might you two be? Very well-dressed for a hitchhikers."

The Doctor took off his oxygen mask and said, "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose."

Rose took off her mask. "Hello. Thanks for the air!"

"Medical man! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie," their rescuer introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said, kindly.

Brannigan nodded over their shoulders. "And that's the rest of the family behind you."

The Doctor opened the curtain behind them to reveal a basket of kittens. "Ah, that's nice. Hello." The Doctor picked one up with a pick ribbon. Rose bit back a grin as he pet the top of the kittens head. She clearly remembered his statement to her about not being a cat person. "How old are they?" he asked Valerie.

"Just two months."

"Poor little souls." Brannigan sighed. "They've never known the ground beneath their paws. Children of the motorway."

The Doctor looked up. "What, they were born in here?"

"We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance," Valerie told them.

"Hold on. Seriously? You've been driving for two months?" Rose asked in disbelief.

Brannigan scoffed. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

"No way!" She gave a small laugh.

"Yeah! Started out as newlyweds. Feels like yesterday." Brannigan turned a dreamy smile to his wife.

Valerie gave him an un-amused look. "Feels like twelve years to me."

"Ah, sweetheart, but you're still love me." He began tickling her. As strange as this situation was, Rose found their obvious love for each other reassuring.

The Doctor was still trying figure out what was going on. "Twelve years? How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park," their driver informed. "It's five miles back."

"You traveled five miles in twelve years?"

"I think he's a bit slow." Brannigan eyed his wife as the Doctor sat the kitten back in it's basket.

"Where are you from?" she asked.

"Never mind that. I've got to get out." The Doctor moved closer to the front window. "My friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage. I should get back to the TARDIS." He opened the door and realized they were no longer next to the balcony. He once again began coughing from the fumes.

"You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by. You and your lady are passengers now, Sonny Jim." Brannigan said, regrettably.

"When's the next lay-by?"

Brannigan avoided eye contact as a guilty expression crossed his face. "Oh, six months?"

Rose gulped. "You have got to be kidding me."

"If you're that desperate you can try the police," Valerie offered. "The monitor's back there." She pointed to the back of the car.

The Doctor used the sonic screwdriver to turn the screen on and got on the comm device. "I need to talk to the police."

**_"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold," _**was the computerized response.

"But you're the police," the Doctor tried to reason.

**_"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."_**

"Is there anyone else?" The Doctor walked back to the front of the car. "I once met the Duke of Manhattan. Is there any way of getting through to him?"

"Oh now, ain't you lordly?" Brannigan said to him.

Rose spoke up from where she was sitting with the kittens, "Please. This is important. We've got to find our friend!"

"You can't make outside calls." Valerie smiled sadly. "The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" the Doctor asked anxiously.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah. Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now, let's see. Who's nearby?" Brannigan turned his attention to the screen before him. "Ah, the Cassini sisters!" The image of two elderly woman popped up as he spoke into a comm, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

**_"Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace," _**one of the "sisters" responded.

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

**_"You know full well we're not sisters. We're married."_**

"Ooo, stop that modern talk. I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got a hitchhiker here, calls himself the Doctor."

Rose gave a small giggle and picked up one of the kittens while the Doctor conversed with the two ladies. Rose could only hope and pray the Cassini "sisters" would be able to help them find Martha. She really didn't fancy spending the next six months trapped in this tiny car. After hearing that one of the Cassini's found Martha's car on the fast lane, Rose perked up, only to have her spirits dampened by finding out that there was no way to contact them.

"We've got to go to the fast lane. Take me down," the Doctor demanded.

Brannigan gave a small sigh. "Not a million years."

"You've got more than three passengers!" he reminded.

"I'm still not going."

"She's alone and she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet, and it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan, take me down."

"That's a no!" Valerie told him sternly. "And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"We're not discussing it. The conversation is closed." Rose felt a twinge in her heart at Valerie's words. How many times had Rose asked to do something as a child or teenager, only to have her mum say the exact same thing.

"So we keep on driving?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, we do," was Brannigan's response.

Finally Rose asked the question that was on both her's and the Doctor's minds, "But for how long?"

"Till the journey's end."

Not satisfied with that answer, the Doctor grabbed the comm device. "Mrs Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

**_"Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty three years now." _**

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

Rose got up and leaned into the Doctor's side. "Doctor, what're you getting at?" she whispered.

**_"I'm not sure." _**They heard the second Cassini respond.

"Look at your notes. Any police?" he offered.

**_"Not as such..." _**Rose could hear the hesitation in her response.

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? Ever?"

**_"I can't keep a note of everything." _**

"What if there's no one out there?"

Brannigan grabbed the comm out of the Doctor's hand. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favour."

"We're thankful for the help, Brannigan. Really. But the Doctor's right. Don't you find this whole situation a bit odd?" Rose asked gently.

The Doctor leaned closer to the cat man. "Someone's got to ask, because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes. What if the traffic jam never stops?"

"There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us," he tried to make reason.

"In that case, where are they, hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing?" The Doctor's voice turned grim. "Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. Forever."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Valerie snapped at him.

Suddenly the monitor turned on to reveal another static filled image of the same blonde woman they had seen earlier. **_"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation." _**

"You think you know us so well, Doctor," Brannigan said softly. "But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other." He smiled at his wife.

**_"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe." _**

The sound of a choir singing an old hymn Rose recognized from one of the few times she had gone to church with her gran, filled the car. Brannigan and Valerie softly joined the singing and if Rose listened carefully, she could make out the sounds of other voice's singing from the cars surrounding them. The Doctor reached down and grasped Rose's hand and it was then that she realized she was crying and she didn't even know why.

A few moments after the song ended, the Doctor pulled his companion to the back of the car. "Listen, Rose-"

Rose lifted an eyebrow and interrupted, "Is this where you tell me that you're going to go save Martha while I sit here and wait for you to return?"

"Uh. Yes, actually. How did you know?"

"Worked it out ages ago. As soon as we found out Martha was in the fast lane. I've just been waiting for you to catch up."

"So does that mean, you're going to stay here?" he asked hopefully.

She gave a short laugh. "Not bloody likely."

"Please, Rose? Please," he practically begged. "The air out there is horrible. I at least have my respiratory bypass, you don't. I'll just be worried about you the whole time. It'll be bad enough for Martha after I find her."

"And you honestly expect me to just sit here and wait for you?"

The Doctor took a deep breath before answering, "Yes."

"And how long am I supposed to wait exactly?" Rose asked bitterly. "Five and a half hours or five and a half months? Or years? Hhhmm?"

He gave an obvious flinch at her words. "Rose..."

"Just go," she resigned before adding a warning, "But no matter how long it takes you to get back, don't expect me to be here waiting. I refuse to be trapped in this car for who knows how long."

The Doctor gripped both of her hands. "I trust you, Rose. More than I trust anyone else in the universe. And I trust your judgement. If you feel in your heart that you need to leave this car at any point, then you should." He placed a gently kiss to her forehead. "Although, I'm really hoping you'll stay here where your safe."

Rose pulled him in for a hug and whispered in his ear, "No promises. I'll wait as long as I can, but please don't make me wait for long."

He pulled out of her embrace and gave a brief nod before turning his attention back to their hosts. "Right then. If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own."

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked as the Doctor began to sonic the trapdoor on the bottom of the car.

"Finding my own way. I usually do."

The door opened as a computerized voice announced, **_"Capsule open." _**

A car stopped directly under them and the Doctor looked down nervously. "Here we go." He took off his coat and threw it to Valerie. "Look after this. I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat. Rose is going to stay here as well and she is fully capable of taking care of herself. However, I would greatly appreciate it if you would look after her as well!" Rose rolled her eyes but couldn't help but give a small laugh. The Doctor beamed in his accomplishment.

"But you can't jump!" Valerie practically shouted.

He looked down the open trapdoor. "If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens."

"This Martha... She must mean an awful lot to you. Especially if you're leaving your lady with us." Brannigan said to him.

The Doctor couldn't make eye contact. That was a low blow. He hated the fact that he had to leave Rose, but he had to save Martha and the fumes would be to much for Rose. He needed her safe. "Hardly know her. I was too busy showing off. And I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied. Bye then." He threw a wink to Rose before climbing down so he was hanging from the car.

Rose bent down and got his attention before he jumped. "Hey. I want you back in one piece. Stay safe. For me." The Doctor gave her a huge grin as he let go of the car and jumped to the vehicle below.

"He's completely insane!" Valerie exclaimed.

"That," Brannigan agreed, "and a bit magnificent!"

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Gridlock Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	10. Gridlock Part 2

**A/N: Whew. I am one tired writer. So many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited and those who have left reviews. You are all so incredible. I really hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Gridlock. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

"So, how long have you and the Doctor been married?" Valerie asked Rose, trying to make small talk.

Rose shook her head. "Oh, we're not married."

"Really? I just figured, since you were both wearing rings and all." She nodded down to Rose's left hand.

"I didn't even realize I was still wearing this," Rose said softly. "It just feels so natural. We recently had to pretend to be married and I guess we just forgot we were still wearing 'em."

Valerie just gave her a knowing smile before settling back in her seat, next to her husband, leaving the young woman to her thoughts. It was just then though a shower of sparks rained from the roof.

"Just what we need. Pirates!" Brannigan complained.

"I'm calling the police!" Valerie shouted.

Rose jumped off the bed she was sitting on. "Yeah, like that's going to do us any good."

Suddenly a piece of the roof fell to the floor as a figure hung upside down, demanding, "The Doctor. Where is he?"

Rose couldn't see the figure's face but she recognized the clothes and the voice. "Hold on, I know you!" She moved closer to her hosts so she could see the cat-nun properly. "Don't tell her anything!" she commanded her hosts.

"Ah, Rose Tyler. He told me you would put up a fight."

"Who told you?" Rose questioned.

"I'm sorry, but there is no time." The cat-nun wasted no time in grabbing Rose's wrist and quickly attaching a familiar band to it. "He'll explain everything, I promise. And I'll bring the Doctor back soon." And before Rose even had the chance to struggle, she disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

Rose groaned, and slowly sat up as she tried to remembered what happened. It all came back to her in a rush. She looked around and realized immediately that she was no longer in a car. That was good. But where the hell was she? She seemed to be in some sort of grand hall or court room though it was too dark to really tell. There were shadows and shapes sitting in the chairs, but instinctively, Rose knew who or what ever those shapes were, they weren't alive. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

_"Hello, Rose."_

"Who is that? Where are you?" Rose called back, hoping her voice didn't sound as nervous as she was.

_"I'm in the next room. Follow my voice, Rose."_

"Tell me who you are first!" she demanded. "And how do you know my name, huh? I'm warning you, whoever you are, answer me right now!"

Rose heard a slight chuckle before the voice answered, _"I'm a friend. An old friend."_

Without realizing it, Rose had moved to the next room. When she finally saw the owner of the voice she cried out, "The Face of Boe!" She ran forward and kneeled before his glass chamber. "B-but what are you doing here? And what's going on with New Earth? It's madness down on the motorway."

_"Shhh, my dear girl, I am well aware of the problem with the motorway, but we haven't much time and I need to speak to you before the Doctor arrives."_

"With me? Really? I'm surprised you even remember me. I mean, the last time I saw you I had a head full of Cassandra," she joked.

_"I could never forget you, Rose Tyler," _he said to her softly. _"And that is precisely why I need to speak with you."_

"Go on..."

_"You must promise me that no matter what happens, you never give up on the Doctor."_

Rose sat up straighter. "Course I wouldn't!"

_"I need you to say it. Promise me, Rose," _he demanded of her.

Rose felt her stomach drop. Did he know something that she didn't? Still, despite her nerves she spoke aloud, "I promise. I promise to never give up on the Doctor."

_"Good girl. Thank you."_

"Boe," she cleared her throat, "is.. uh.. is something going to happen to me? Is that why you're telling me this?" She knew what his answer would most likely be, but still had to ask nonetheless.

Rose heard him sigh. _"That is a difficult question, my dear. Could something happen to you in the future? Most likely, yes. Could something happen to the Doctor? Or even your newest companion, Miss Martha Jones? It's highly possible. Time is constantly in flux. But know this, Rose Tyler, you are worth fighting for."_

"I had a friend who told me that once. The very last time I saw him, he said that to me and then kissed me." She tried blinking away the tears that were stinging her eyes as she went to say more but the sound of her Doctor's voice in the next room interrupted.

"Oh! Rough teleport. Ow. You can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha. And where's Rose? You promised me she would be here," The Doctor yelled.

The cat-nun told him calmly, "Your companion should be-"

"I'm right here, Doctor," Rose said, emerging from the open doorway.

"Rose!" He scooped her up in a hug. "Right, Novice Hame, you need to go back and get Martha right now."

"Each bracelet only had the power for one trip!" she told him.

"Then get some more! Where are we?" he snapped.

"High above, in the over-city."

"Good. Because you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They have got thousands of people trapped on the motorway. Millions!" He yelled loudly, causing Rose to flinch away.

"But you're inside the Senate, right now," Novice Hame told him sadly. "May the goddess Santori bless them." With that she touched her teleport bracelet and lights in the Senate turned on.

Rose gasped as she realized the entire room was populated by skeletons. She _knew _something had felt off in there. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"They died. The city died," she told the time travelers solemnly.

The Doctor's mood instantly shifted as he slowly walked towards one of the broken skeletons and knelt down. "How long's it been like this?"

"Twenty four years."

"All of them? Everyone? What happened?"

"A new chemical. A new mood. They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it." She bent down and picked a dried Bliss patch off the skeleton. "They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished. Even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat. There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

The Doctor took a deep breath and stood. "So the whole thing down there is running on automatic."

"There's not enough power to get them out," Novice Hame defended. "We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's we? How did you survive?"

"He protected me. And he has waited for you, these long years."

_"Doctor." _

The Doctor looked around in shock. His eyes landed on Rose. "Is that...?"

Rose smiled and took his hand. "Come and see." She led him to the adjoining room, where their friend was waiting.

"The Face of Boe!" he called out happily.

_"I knew you would come." _

Novice Hame explained, "Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sin."

"Old friend, what happened to you?" the Doctor asked, touching the glass that was protecting Boe gently.

_"Failing," _Boe told him weakly. How had Rose not noticed how weak he was before? She mentally chided herself for not paying better attention.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Hame told them. "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"You saved them," Rose stated in awe as she looked at Boe's large eyes. So many years tucked away in them. So many horrible things he's seen. They reminded her of the Doctor's eyes. No matter the color, they were always the same.

Novice Hame grimaced. "The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

"But there are planets out there. You could have called for help..." The Doctor turned to her for an answer.

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

Silence fell upon them as the weight of her words sunk in. Finally the Doctor stood from his position beside Boe and made his way closer to the cat-nun. "So the two of you stayed here, on your own for all these years."

She turned her head down. "We had no choice."

The Doctor placed his hand on her arm and told her kindly, "Yes, you did."

_"Save them, Doctor. Save them," _Boe called out.

* * *

Rose watched as within moments the Doctor had got the computers running and he located the car Martha was in, but as he flipped the switch to get the power back to the city, everything failed. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" He ran to another piece of machinery and began using the sonic to scan it. "The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through."

_"Doctor..."_

"Yeah, hold on, not now. Rose, come hold this switch down."

Boe struggled with his words. _"I give you my last-"_ He didn't finish his sentence. Instead he gave what seemed to be a final breath, causing everything to turn on around them.

The Doctor looked around in shock before commanding, "Hame, look after him. Don't you go dying on me, you big old face. You've got to see this. The open road. Ha!"

After giving the all clear to the motorway and instructing everyone to "drive up!" the Doctor was ecstatic. He didn't get days like this often, days where everything ended up okay. Sadly though, his thoughts of the day turned out to be wrong when the sound of Novice Hame and Rose's cries got his attention.

"Doctor"! they both shouted as the glass surrounding the Face of Boe's began to crack.

* * *

Martha was thrilled when her "captors" were able to drop her off at the Senate building. She ran inside to find her friends, but was stopped short by the sight of a skeleton collapsed on the ground. "Doctor?"

"Over here," he called from the other room.

"Doctor! Rose! What happened out there?" She stopped and stared as she realized the Doctor and Rose were both sitting next to a giant face. "What's that?"

"It's the Face of Boe. It's all right. Come and say hello. And this is Hame." He nodded to the other person with them. "She's a cat. Don't worry." Turning his attention back to his old friend he said, "He's the one that saved you, not me."

"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying," Hame told Martha as she sat down next to her.

"No, don't say that," the Doctor denied. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

_"It's good to breathe the air once more... to see your faces." _Boe gasped out as Rose stroked his cheek.

Martha looked at him in wonder. "Who is he?"

"I don't even know," the Doctor admitted. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years. Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

_"Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most." _

"The legend says more..." Novice Hame began.

The Doctor looked up at her. "Don't. There's no need for that."

She didn't listen and continued, "It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler."

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"

_"I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor." _

"That's why we have to survive. Both of us. Don't go," the Doctor said with a shaky voice, trying to keep his emotions under control.

_"I must."_ Boe said to him before turning his attention solely to Rose. "_Remember your promise, Rose_."

"I will. Always," she answered aloud and was met with the Doctor's confused expression. She realized that he must have spoken only in her mind. His next words, however, were spoken for all to hear.

_"But know this, Time Lord. You are not alone." _

As he breathed his final sigh, and his eyes closed, Rose placed her hand on his cheek and thought with all her might, _"You are worth fighting for, my friend." _In the back of her mind she felt a wave of peace wash over her. And she knew he was content.

If only the same could be said for the Doctor. The look on his face was heartbreaking as he tried to figure out what Boe could have possibly meant. Of course he was alone. There was no one else. They space they had filled in his mind was empty. He stood slowly and pulled Rose up with him as they both went to give Martha a proper hug, leaving Novice Hame the space to grieve.

* * *

After seeing that everything was continuing to run properly, and retrieving his jacket back from Brannigan and Valerie, the Doctor led Rose and Martha back to the under city where the TARDIS was parked. "All closed down," the Doctor declared as they entered what they know knew was Pharmacy Town.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy." He looked around an empty booth. "New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs. Cats in charge. Come on, time we were off." He tugged Rose's hand and nodded to Martha.

Their newest companion didn't move. "But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? You're not alone."

"I don't know." The Doctor shrugged but gripped Rose's hand a little tighter.

"You've got me and Rose. Is that what he meant?" she asked naively.

"I don't think so." He smiled sadly. "Sorry."

"Then what?"

"Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go." He went to continue walking but Rose stopped him when she realized that Martha had grabbed one of the fallen chairs and sat herself down, arms and legs crossed.

"All right, are you staying?" The Doctor asked, his tone growing irritated.

"Till you talk to me properly, yes," she answered back with the same irritated tone to her own voice. "He said last of your kind. What does that mean?"

Rose sighed, "Martha, just leave it!"

"Tell me!" she demanded.

"It really doesn't matter," he told her.

"You don't talk. You never say. Why not?" She stopped and turned her attention to the other woman. "And you, Rose! You're as bad as him." The sound of singing filled the under city. Martha looked up in awe. "It's the city. They're singing."

Rose stepped away from the Doctor and moved a chair closer to Martha as she told her, "I recently lost my mum and my best friend. They're not dead. But I lost them and I'm never gonna see them again, and that hurts. A lot. I'm sorry if it seems like I'm hiding things from you, but I'm just not ready to talk about them yet."

Martha gave her a small smile. "Thank you for telling me."

The Doctor remained standing but looking at Rose, he found the courage to speak. "I lied to you, because I liked it. I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky. I'm not just a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

She leaned forward. "What happened?"

The Doctor pulled his own chair up next to Rose's. "There was a war. A Time War. The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And they lost. They lost. Everyone lost. They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky. Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet." He took Rose's hand almost instinctively as tears filled his eyes. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song."

* * *

Awhile later, after they had made their way back to the TARDIS and the Doctor had shown Martha to a room she could get some rest in, Rose found the Time Lord sitting in the kitchen nursing a cuppa.

"Hello," she said quietly.

"Hello," he replied as a grin split his face. "I thought you would have been sleeping."

"I wanted to give this back to you first," Rose told him as she pulled off the ring he had placed on her finger back at the Royal Hope Hospital. "Thank you for trusting me with it. I know it must mean a lot to you."

He cradled the ring in his palm. "I told you before, Rose, I trust you more than anyone and I would trust you with any _thing_."

Rose struggled with her next words to him. "I know I'm not... I know I'm not a Time Lord or anything, but for as long as I live, Doctor, you'll have me with you. It's not the same, I know. But still. There's me." She didn't know what else to say. Part of her wanted to tell the Doctor about what Boe had spoke to her about, but the other part of her felt she should keep it to herself. For now she rested her head on his shoulder and let the comfortable silence take over.

The Doctor was grateful that Rose didn't push him to talk about things. After describing Gallifrey to both her and Martha earlier, he didn't think he had it in him to get into another emotional conversation. Instead, he let Rose rest her head on him, as he placed the ring he had given her back in his pocket, and then slowly slipped his own ring off. He may be the only Time Lord left but at least for now he still had his pink and yellow human.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Daleks in Manhattan**_

**Please review :) xoxo**


	11. Daleks in Manhattan Part 1

**A/N: Hello! Lots of thank you's to my followers (old & new), those of you who have favorited, and those who have left reviews! I adore each and every one of you. Well the next chapter is here and I hope you like it. I've always had very mixed feelings about Daleks in Manhattan and there was so many different directions I wanted to take Rose!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Daleks in Manhattan. credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

"Wakey-wake, Martha Jones!"

Martha slowly opened her eyes to reveal a hyper looking Doctor looming above her. "Ugh. What time is it?"

"You're in a time machine. Does it matter?" The Doctor smirked. "Up and at 'em! The kitchen is down the hall third door on the right. Find yourself something to eat, then meet Rose and I in the Control Room."

Martha laughed as the Doctor bounded out of the room she had stayed for the night. _Is there night on the TARDIS? _she thought to herself. Either way, it felt like she had got a great amount of sleep. And now, she supposed, the Doctor would return her home. After all, he had only promised her one trip... but still maybe he would find himself sidetracked...

* * *

Of course she was right. After grabbing a quick bite to eat she found herself and Rose both being pushed out the TARDIS doors as the time-ship made a surprisingly gentle landing. Martha stepped outside first, clutching her jacket closer to her against the breeze. "Where are we?" she wondered aloud.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, closing the door behind him. "Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze. Nice and cold. Lovely. Martha, Rose, have either of you met my friend?" He have a giant grin as both women turned around and stared up in complete shock.

"Is that? Oh, my God. That's the Statue of Liberty!" Martha exclaimed.

Rose smiled and bit her lip. "Oh, she's gorgeous."

"Gateway to the New World. Give me you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free," the Doctor stated proudly.

"That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the real New York," Martha clarified, "not the new, new, new, new, new one."

"I think you missed a few news." Rose giggled.

"Well, there's the genuine article." The Doctor gestured to the city skyline. "So good, they named it twice. Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. Now wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam."

"Harder to write songs about," Rose agreed cheerfully.

"I wonder what year it is, because look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet," Martha mused as she moved to pick up a copy of The New York Record that was lying on a bench.

The Doctor studied the unfinished building. "Work in progress. Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history, that makes the date somewhere around-"

"November first 1930," Martha injected.

He turned to her in surprise. "You're getting good at this." Rose giggled when he noticed the paper in their companion's hands. He went to take a look at it, but she grabbed it before he could.

"Eighty years ago. It's funny, because you see all those old newsreels all in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now. Come on then, you. Where do you want to go first?" Martha asked excitedly.

"Doctor..." Rose called to him as she stared at the headline. "I think you need to see this."

He grabbed the paper from her hands and frowned before handing it back to Martha. "I think our detour just got longer."

"Hooverville Mystery Deepens," she read before looking up. "What's Hooverville?"

* * *

The Doctor waited till they had made it closer to Central Park before he began to explain. "Herbert Hoover, thirty first President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up till then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then-"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah? When was that, 1929?" Martha said, folding her arms against the bitter chill that was creeping in.

"Yeah. Whole economy wiped out overnight. Thousands of people unemployed. All of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So, they ended up here in Central Park."

"S' so horrible," Rose said as she unconsciously reached for the Doctor's hand.

"What, they actually live in the park? In the middle of the city?" Martha stared at him in disbelief.

"It's not that unheard of," Rose told her. "People do it all the time. Even in present day London."

"I suppose so, yeah," she agreed quietly.

As they made their way over a hill they finally say the small shanty town that was Hooverville. A feeling of unease settled over them all as they made their way deeper inside the "town."

"Ordinary people lost their jobs. Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go," the Doctor told them as he looked around at the various people sadly.

Rose felt tears prickle her eyes as she watched a young mother trying to soothe a crying child. The poor thing was skin and bones and Rose wanted so badly to scoop the child up and take the little guy back to the TARDIS, where he could be properly cared for. But then what? Could she stop with one person? In the end she would want to take all of Hooverville with her and she can't. Without even asking, Rose knew this was a fixed point in time.

Perhaps she couldn't save them all, but she _could _prevent some tears. Without saying a word, Rose reached into the Doctor's coat pocket. He looked at her in surprise as she carefully pulled the banana she knew he kept in there, out and without causing a scene, walked over to the mother and child and handed it to them. It wasn't much. But maybe it would help soothe the little boy for the time being and give the mother some peace.

The Doctor grinned at her, pride shinning in his eyes. He was just about to shower her with some praise when the sound of a fight breaking out interrupted. The three time travelers made their way closer to see two men throwing punches. Rose looked to the Doctor to see if he would try to break them up, but he just shook his head a nodded to darker skinned man who had just made his way out of a nearby tent.

"Cut that out! Cut that out right now!" The man yelled at them, pulling them apart.

"He stole my bread!" one of the men shouted.

"That's enough!" he ordered. "Did you take it?" he asked the second man.

The second man tried denying, "I don't know what happened. He just went crazy."

"That's enough! Now, think real careful before you lie to me."

"I'm starving, Solomon." The man hung his head shamefully as he pulled a loaf of bread out of his torn up coat.

"We all starving. We all got families somewhere," the man known as Solomon told them as he, true to his name, pulled the loaf of bread in half and handed them each a piece. "No stealing and no fighting. You know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. A lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together. No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

"Come on." The Doctor nudged the two women with him. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here," the Doctor said to Solomon.

"And who might you be?" he eyed them suspiciously.

Martha decided to speak for the group. "He's the Doctor, she's Rose, and I'm Martha."

"A doctor. Huh. Well, we got stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor. Neighbourhood gets classier by the day," Solomon joked as he warmed his hands over a fire pit.

"How many people live here?" she asked.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville. We are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same. All starving. So you're welcome, all three of you. But tell me. Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me." he moved so they could see the Empire State Building in the distance. "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?" When the Doctor gave him no answer, he walked away.

"He's right though," Rose spoke up. "It makes no sense."

The Doctor continued to stare silently at the building before walking to follow the other man. "Come on then, we need to figure out what's going on here." When they found the man outside his tent, the Doctor held up a copy of the newspaper Martha had found. "So, men are going missing. Is this true?"

"It's true all right," Solomon said before making his way inside the tent.

The Doctor peaked his head in. "But what does missing mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"Come on in," he invited. "This is different."

"In what way?" Martha asked as she and Rose sat down across from the two men.

"Someone takes them, at night," he explained. "We hear something, someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone like they vanished into thin air."

The Doctor frowned and rested his chin in his hand. "And you're sure someone's taking them?"

"Doctor, when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

Rose could only nod in agreement as Martha asked, "Have you been to the police?"

"Yeah, we tried that. Another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"Then the question is," Rose stood up and looked around the tent, "who's taking them and why?"

"Solomon!" A young man yelled as he stuck his head in the tent. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."

The group made their way outside as they saw a man in an obviously expensive suit, standing on a box and addressing the crowd. "I need men. Volunteers. I've got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah. What is the money?" The young man who had collected Solomon asked.

"A dollar a day."

Solomon spoke up, "What's the work?"

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?" Mr. Diagoras looked among the crowd that had gathered. The Doctor and Rose all looked around in surprise as no one was taking up the offer.

"Don't they all need the money?" Rose whispered.

"A dollar a day? That's slave wage. And men don't always come back up, do they," Solomon eyed the man.

"Accidents happen," he replied.

"What do you mean? What sort of accidents?" the Doctor asked him.

"You don't need the work? That's fine. Anybody else?"

The Doctor raised his hand. Rose just sighed and half heartedly raised her's as well. _Great, _she thought to herself. _A trip to the sewers._

"Enough with the questions," Mr. Diagoras snapped at them when he saw their raised hands.

"Oh, no, no, no. I'm volunteering. I'll go" The Doctor grinned and nudged Rose. "So will she!"

He gave a small chuckle as Martha gave him a dirty look while raising her hand. "I'll kill you for this."

After asking if there was anyone else, both the young man and Solomon raised their hands. Though neither looked thrilled.

* * *

Rose had a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling. And she was guessing that the Doctor did too and that's why they were heading down a grimy ladder into a New York City sewer.

"Turn left. Go about a half a mile. Follow tunnel two seven three. Fall's right ahead of you, you can't miss it," Mr. Diagoras instructed them once they had all made it down.

"And when do we get our dollar?" the young man who had introduced himself as Frank, asked.

"When you come back up."

The Doctor eyed the man warily. "And if we don't come back up?"

Diagoras shook his head. "Then I got no one to pay."

Rose gave a short laugh. "Well, that's convenient."

"Don't worry," Solomon warned the man, "we'll be back."

"Let's hope so," Martha muttered as she followed Solomon into the tunnel, falling in line with Frank and Rose. It was pretty dark down there, but thankfully, Diagoras had supplied them all with torches.

"This place is lovely," Rose joked, shining her torch on a slimy wall.

"We just got to stick together. It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here," Frank told the girls on either side of him.

"So what about you, Frank?" Martha asked. "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

"Oh, you could talk. No, I'm Tennessee born and bred," he drawled.

"So what are you doing in New York?" Rose asked curiously. He seemed so young and innocent. She couldn't help but think that if she was a few years younger, she would have definitely had her sights on him. In fact, she could practically hear her first Doctor saying,_ "He's a bit pretty..." _in his lovely Northern tone.

"Oh, my daddy died. Mama couldn't afford to feed us all. So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a lookout for us. So, what about you two? You're a long way from home."

"I'm from London... originally," Rose told him with a sweet smile before moving to walk ahead with the Doctor and Solomon.

"And you?" Frank turned to look at Martha.

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher too," she answered.

Frank gave a charming grin. "You stick with me, you'll be all right."

"So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" The Doctor asked Solomon after Rose had stepped up beside him.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman. Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan," Solomon answered, while shinning his light around the various tunnels.

"How'd he manage that then?" The Doctor frowned.

"These are strange times. A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way round."

"Whoa!" The Doctor exclaimed. He shone his torch on the ground to reveal a luminous green, jellyfish like creature.

"What is that?!" Rose asked as she and the Doctor both knelt beside it.

Martha moved closer to them to have a better look. "Is it radioactive or something?" When she got closer she was hit with the smell of something dead. "It's gone off, whatever it is. And you've got to pick it up."

The Doctor moved the "creature" closer for inspection as Rose began whispering, "Don't lick it. Don't lick it. don't lick."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Calm down, Rose. I won't lick it. Now shine your torch through it. Composite organic matter. Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that. "

"Of course it isn't." Rose sighed as she stood and moved her light to look down the tunnel. "Here's what I want to know, Mr. Diagoras said that we wouldn't be able to miss this supposed collapse. So where is it?"

The Doctor stood next to her. "You're right. We must be at least half a mile in. I don't see any sign of a collapse. So why _did_ Mr. Diagoras send up down here?"

"Where are we now? What's above us?" Martha asked him.

"Well, we're right underneath Manhattan."

* * *

They decided to continue walking a little farther to see if they could find anything, but after passing a few more tunnels they had given up hope. "We're way beyond half a mile. There's no collapse, nothing," Solomon stated.

Martha looked nervous as she unconsciously tugged her jacket closer, once more. "That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?"

"Looks like it," the Doctor answered.

"So why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank pointed out.

"That is a very good question, Frank," Rose praised him. "I have a feeling it has something to do with all the missing people from Hooverville."

"Solomon, I think it's time you took Martha and Frank back." The Doctor told the other man. "Rose and I will be much quicker just the two of us." Rose beamed at the Doctor's words. Finally, she wasn't the one he was trying to send away. As she started to move closer to him, the sound of squealing echoed through the sewers.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked as the group all moved the torches around, trying to find the source.

"Hello?" Frank shouted loudly only to be shushed by Martha and warned by Solomon. "What if it's one of the folk gone missing? You'd be scared and half mad down here on your own," he told them logically.

The Doctor looked at the younger man. "Do you think they're still alive?"

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like that," Solomon said as more squeals echoed around them.

"Where's it coming from? Sounds like there's more than one of them."

"This way," the Doctor answered from one side of the tunnel.

Solomon disagreed and pointed his torch to the other side. "No, that way."

The shine from Solomon's torch revealed a figure crouched in the corner. Without a word, Rose found herself moving closer. "Rose get back here!" Martha whispered. "Doctor..."

"Hello," Rose greeted as she slowly stepped closer. "My name's Rose. Can you tell me who you are?"

When there was no response, Frank called out, "Are you lost? Can you understand me? I've been thinking about folk lost down-" He tried to step closer but was stopped by the Doctor.

"It's all right, Frank. Just stay back. You as well, Rose. Don't move any closer. Let me have a look." He stepped past Rose and gave the creature his full attention. "He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. We know the way out. Daylight. If you come with us-" He bent down and finally saw that the creature was some sort of pig. He had very human eyes though, eyes that seemed heartbroken. "Oh, but what are you?"

"Is that, uh, some kind of carnival mask?" Solomon asked nervously.

Rose shook her head and bent down next to the Doctor. "No. It's very real."

"I'm sorry," the Doctor told the creature compassionately. "Now listen to me. I promise I can help. Who did this to you?"

"Doctor? Rose? I think you'd better get back here," Martha warned when she noticed more pig men coming down the tunnel. "Doctor!" she yelled when they still hadn't moved.

The Doctor stood and pushed Rose behind him as they both walked backwards towards their friends. "Actually, good point."

Martha realized that the pig men were continuing towards them. "They're following you."

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks. Well then, Rose, Martha, Frank, Solomon..."

"What?" his newest companion snapped.

"Uh? Um... basically..."

"RUN!" Rose shouted grabbing the Doctor's hand.

* * *

"Where are we going?!" Martha asked frantically when they made it to a junction.

The Doctor ran past her, taking the lead. "This way!" He ran past a side tunnel and caught glimpse of their salvation. "It's a ladder! Come on!" The Doctor quickly climbed to the top and used the sonic screwdriver to open the cover. Frank grabbed a T bar to ward off the oncoming pig men, while Martha and Rose both climbed to the top.

"Frank, be careful!" Rose shouted down to him while Solomon climbed to safety.

"C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" the older man yelled to him.

Frank dropped his T bar and tried making his way up the ladder, but was stopped when the pig men grabbed his legs. Solomon and the Doctor both grabbed Frank's hands and began pulling him back up.

"I've got you. C'mon! Come on!" the Doctor proclaimed. The pull of the pig men overpowered them. Frank was pulled out of their grasps and carried away. "Noooo!" The Doctor shouted with anguish one of the pig men began to make his way up the ladder.

Solomon quickly shoved the Doctor away and closed the lid to the sewer below. "We can't go after him," he said sadly.

The Doctor hopped to his feet. "We've got to go back down. We can't just leave him."

"No, I'm not losing anybody else. Those creatures were from Hell. From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

"You coward!" Rose screamed as she shoved Solomon's chest. "Frank told me you looked after him! He trusted you. He was just a boy! A sweet, young boy and you've sent him to his death!" She went to shove the man again but the Doctor held her back while Martha cowered against the wall, trying to hold back her tears.

"Shhh. Rose, calm down." The Doctor ran his hands down her spine trying to get his companion's emotions under control. "I'm going to fix this."

At that moment, a blonde stepped out from behind a rack. "All right, then. Put 'em up. Hands in the air and no funny business," she warned as she pointed a revolver at them. "Now tell me, you schmucks, what have you done with Laszlo?"

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Daleks in Manhattan Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	12. Daleks in Manhattan Part 2

**A/N: Quick question, are you guys watching the new episode of Doctor Who? And if so, is anyone else picking up on the subtle hints towards Rose? Or is it just me? Anyways, back to my usual A/N... Thank you so so much to my followers, those who have favorited, and those of you who have reviewed! Love you all. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Daleks in Manhattan. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

After the blonde led them to her dressing room, the group figured out quickly that they had made their way inside the prop room of a theatre. The three time travelers plus Solomon watched the blonde cautiously , as she waved the revolver around while explaining who Laszlo was. "Laszlo's my boyfriend. Or was my boyfriend until he disappeared two weeks ago. No letter, no goodbye, no nothing. And I'm not stupid. I know some guys are just pigs but not my Laszlo. I mean, what kind of guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

"Yeah. It might, might just help if you put that down," the Doctor told her carefully.

She looked at him confused. "Huh? Oh, sure." She threw the gun down and gave a small laugh when they all flinched. "Oh, come on. It's not real. It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

Martha stepped forward. "What do you think happened to Laszlo?"

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip. Vanished."

"Listen, ah, what's your name?" the Doctor asked the blonde.

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah,"

"Three Ls and an H," she clarified.

The Doctor had to suppress a grin. In other circumstances, he would very much like to converse with Tallulah but right now he needed to focus on the task at hand. "Right. We can try to find Laszlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures." Solomon shuddered. "Such creatures."

Rose shot the man a dirty look. "Yeah, and you just let 'em have Frank."

"What do you mean, creatures?" Tallulah interrupted before Solomon could snap back.

"Look, listen, just trust me. Everyone is in danger. I need to find out exactly what this is." The Doctor pulled the green jellyfish type creature he had found in the sewers out of his pocket. "Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

Tallulah shrunk back and made a face. "Yech."

"Seriously?" Rose swatted his shoulder. "That jacket is gonna need a thorough wash after having that _thing _in it's pocket."

"I'm going to head back to the prop room, see if I can find anything that might help me figure out what this thing is," he told them all.

"Hey, I need to start getting read for my next show. You girls want to stay and chat?" Tallulah asked hopefully.

Martha readily agreed but Rose seemed a bit unsure. After seeing her reluctance, the Doctor pulled her aside. "Stay and talk to her for a bit. See if she gives us any more useful information." Rose nodded as the Doctor and Solomon left the ladies.

* * *

After changing into her angel costume, Tallulah sat at her makeup table and began fixing her earrings. "Laszlo. He'd wait for me after the show. Walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose bud."

"He sounds really sweet," Rose told her as she took a seat next to the other blonde.

"Oh he was!"

Martha stood from where she was sitting. "Haven't you reported him missing?"

"Sure. He's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't."

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

"Okay, so then they fire me."

Martha bent down and grinned at Tallulah's reflection in the mirror. "But they'd listen to you. You're one of the stars."

"Oh, honey, I got one song in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle. Which had nothing to do with me whatever anybody says. I can't afford to make a fuss. If I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

"Okay! I get it," she backed down.

"It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on. Because if it stops, you starve." Tallulah stood and looked sadly at Martha. "Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep going, hoping he's going to come back." Her voice dissolved into tears as Martha flung her arms around her.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too, Tallulah." Rose spoke up. "I promise we're going to try our best to help you find him."

The blonde pulled out of the embrace and turned to look at her. "That's real nice of you. You know, you're lucky. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

Rose blushed. "Oh, the Doctor and I aren't like that."

Tallulah giggled. "Oh, sure you are! I've seen the way you look at him. It's obvious."

"Really, Rose. You two aren't foolin' anyone. I've been with you two for a few days. There's no hiding it," Martha told her.

Rose shook her head to deny them. "Seriously, though, the Doctor... he's doesn't-"

Tallulah interrupted as she moved to put her angel wings on. "Oh, I should have realized. He's into musical theatre, huh? What a waste. Still, you got to live in hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going because, well, look." She held up a single white rose bud. "On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's Laszlo?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," she admitted sadly. "If he's still around, why is he being all secret, like he doesn't want me to see him?" Tallulah moved into the hall to as some more showgirls made their way towards them. "Girls, it's show time!" She turned back to look at Martha and Rose. "Come on, honeys. Take a look. Ever been on stage before?"

Martha shrugged. "Oh, a little bit. You know, Shakespeare."

Rose laughed as the other blonde stated, "How dull is that? Come and see a real show!"

She began pulling them with her wen Rose stopped them. "I just want to check on the Doctor first, I'll meet up with you though!"

* * *

A few minutes later she tracked him down in the lighting gallery he was on his stomach examining the "creature" they had found. "So where's Solomon?" she asked as she sat next to him

"Went back to Hooverville, wanted to warn them all," he answered without looking up. "I think he was feeling particularly guilty after you laid into him earlier."

"And what?" Rose snapped. "You want me to feel bad about that? Cause I don't."

"This is artificial," the Doctor muttered as he made a few adjustment to the device had he had cobbled together. "Genetically engineered. Whoever this is, oh, you're clever."

Rose just sighed as the lights lowered and the show began. "So what have you made there?" She nodded to the machine.

"Just a crude little DNA scan," he informed her. "Not perfect, but it will get the job done." He dug through one of his pockets and pulled his stethoscope out. "Fundamental DNA type four six seven dash nine eight nine. Nine eight nine," he repeated after listening to the luminous creature. He lifted his glasses to rub his eyes. "Hold on, that means planet of origin... "

Rose watched as the color drained from his face. "Where, Doctor? Where's this thing from?"

"Skaro," he answered briefly before grabbing her hand and pulling her up roughly.

"Hold on! I know that name... Doctor, why do I know that name?" Rose asked breathlessly as the Doctor continued tugging her behind him as he ran.

"Come on, Rose!" He yelled, ignoring her question, while pulling her arm harder as they made their way backstage. They finally saw Tallulah surrounded by her showgirls. The Doctor let go of Rose and grabbed the other blonde's shoulders. "Where is she? Where's Martha?"

Tallulah shook her head and told him, "I don't know. She ran off the stage."

Rose pulled the him away from the showgirls, "Doctor what is-"

The sound of a woman's scream interrupted. Without a word the pair took off running towards the sound, only to be followed by Tallulah.

"Martha!" the Doctor shouted as he made his way into the prop room. As he made his way further in he noticed the lid to the sewer was not on properly. Having noticed the lid as well Rose grabbed the Doctor's coat off the rack and handed it to him.

"Where are you going?" Tallulah asked as the Doctor began to fully remove the sewer lid.

"They've taken her," was the brief response she got.

"Who's taken her? What're you doing?" When she saw the both the Doctor and Rose were making their way down the ladder she asked once more, "I said, what the hell are you doing?"

"No, no, no, no, no way! You're not coming," the Doctor said to Tallulah, as the showgirl made her way down the ladder as well.

"Tell me what's going on," she demanded.

"There's nothing you can do. Go back!"

Finally Rose had enough. "Actually, Doctor, she's asking a fair question. What _is _going on?"

Tallulah sent Rose small smile in gratitude before turning her attention back to the Doctor. "Look, whoever's taken Martha, they could've taken Laszlo, couldn't they?"

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here," he warned.

"Then that's my problem. Come on. Which way?" she asked as she began walking down a side tunnel.

The Doctor just sighed in defeat before taking off down the main tunnel. "This way."

* * *

"Doctor, why is the name Skaro so familiar?" Rose whisper as the made their way under a portcullis.

Having not heard the whispered question Tallulah asked aloud, "When you say, they've taken her, who's they exactly? And who are you anyway? I never asked."

"Shhh," the Doctor hushed at her.

"Okay, okay," she said loudly.

"Shh, shh, shh, shh!" he directed, holding his hands up.

Rose was trying to figure out what had him on edge, when she finally saw it. A shadow cast on the wall in front of them. Not the shadow of a human, or even a pig man. No. Then it clicked why the name Skaro was so familiar, she had heard that name before. At Canary Wharf. _The Cult of Skaro._ "No..." Rose whimpered as the Doctor grabbed her arm roughly, threw his hand over a still talking Tallulah's mouth, and then pulled them both tightly into a service alcove.

Rose held her breath as the Dalek slowly made it's way past the alcove without noticing the three people huddled in it. After it was at a somewhat safe distance, the Doctor let go of the two blondes and stepped away. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They survived. They always survive while I lose-" he stopped when he noticed Rose still huddled in the corner. He moved to her and quickly pulled her into his embrace.

"That metal thing? What was it?" Tallulah asked.

"It's called a Dalek. And it's not just metal, it's alive."

"You're kidding me." She tried for a smile.

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" he spat out at her, causing Rose to flinch. He tried to pull in his anger but feeling the shudders of his companion only made it worse. It was because of them that his always strong Rose was terrified. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

"But if it's not a human being, that kind of implies it's from outer space," she said nervously as the Doctor just gave her a pointed look. "Yet again, that's a no with the kidding. Boy. Well, what's it doing here, in New York?"

"It's not fair," Rose said quietly, still clinging to the Doctor.

He squeezed her shoulder before reaching for her's and Tallulah's hands. "Come on."

"Where're we going?" Tallulah asked.

"Every second you're down here, you're in danger. I'm taking you back right now." As they rounded the corner they came upon another pig man causing Tallulah to scream. The pig man tried to hide but the Doctor called after him, "Where's Martha? What have you done with her? What have you done with Martha?"

"I didn't take her," he said as he shied away from the Doctor.

The Doctor's anger abated a bit. "Can you remember your name?"

"Don't look at me."

"Do you know where she is?" Tallulah asked, trying to step closer, but was stopped by the pig man.

"Stay back! Don't look at me."

"What happened to you?" the Doctor asked.

"They made me a monster."

"Who did?"

"The masters."

"The Daleks," he corrected. "Why?

"They needed slaves. They needed slaves to steal more people so they created us. Part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late," the pig man told him sadly.

"What happened to Martha?" Rose asked, easing a few steps closer.

"They took her. It's my fault. She was following me."

Tallulah clutched her coat tighter. "Were you in the theatre?

"I never..." he started to lie but then changed his mind. "Yes."

"Why? Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this." The pig man looked away shamefully.

"Why me? What I got to do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?" Tallulah took a deep breath, trying to calm her frantic heart.

The pig man turned to face her but remained in the shadows. "Yes," was his simple reply.

Rose gasped, "Oh my god, I know who you are! Tallulah just... look at him. Really look."

The other blonde stepped closer and grabbed his arm when he tried to turn away. She stared him deep in the eyes and it dawned on her who it was. "Laszlo? My Laszlo?" She began to cry. "Oh, what have they done to you?"

The Doctor moved closer. "Laszlo, can you show me where they are?"

"They'll kill you," he warned.

"If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

Laszlo sighed as he took a look at his beloved. "Then follow me."

* * *

They finally came upon the tunnel that Martha was being held in. Rose felt a brief moment of joy when she realized Frank was still alive and fully human. They watched as the Daleks spoke of a "final experiment" and something about Dalekanium being in place. When it was confirmed that everything was ready the Daleks began scanning their prisoners. The first man was labeled as "low intelligence" and was carted off to become a pig slave.

"They're divided into two groups," Laszlo explained quietly. "High intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair!" Tallulah stated loudly before the Doctor shushed her. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"What about those considered high intelligence?" Rose asked.

"They're taken to the laboratory."

"Why? What for?" The Doctor frowned.

"I don't know." Laszlo shook his head. "The masters only call it the Final Experiment."

Rose closed her eyes in relief when both Martha and Frank were scanned and labeled as "superior intelligence." While it was nice to know that they wouldn't become pig men, she began to feel worried about this so called Final Experiment.

As the Daleks began to move closer to the tunnel they were hiding in, the Doctor pushed the other three back. "Look out, they're moving!"

Laszlo took that as a sign that they should make their escape and began to lead Tallulah away, but stopped when he noticed that the Doctor and Rose had stayed where they were. "Doctor! Doctor, quickly!"

"I'm not coming. I've got an idea. You go. Take Rose!" He whispered loudly.

Rose just rolled her eyes. "And you were doing so well," she muttered to herself. "I'm not leaving you," she stated firmly. The Doctor sighed but gave a short nod after noticing that Laszlo had convinced Tallulah to go back. The three watched as the Daleks moved past them, then quickly joined the group of humans following them. Laszlo moved to join the other pig men, while the Doctor fell in line behind Martha. Rose stayed behind him and in front of Frank.

"Just keep walking," the Doctor instructed.

Martha gave a strangled gasp, "Oh, I'm so glad to see you!"

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later," he told her. "You too, Frank, if you want."

Frank smirked but then said politely, "Well that's awful nice of you, Doctor, but I think I'd rather have a kiss from Rose or Martha."

* * *

After making their way into the a laboratory Rose and Frank moved in front of the Doctor and Martha and saw that the black Dalek was shaking. "Dalek Sec is in the final stage of evolution," one of the Daleks reported.

"Scan him. Prepare for birth," was the response given.

"Evolution?" the Doctor said to himself.

Martha nodded to Dalek Sec's shaking form. "What's wrong with old Charlie boy over there?"

"Ask them," he told her.

"What, me? Don't be daft."

"I don't exactly want to get noticed and I think they would recognize Rose. Ask them what's going on."

Martha bravely stepped out of line. "Daleks, I demand to be told. What is this Final Experiment? Report!"

The Daleks turned to face her as one of them informed, "You will bear witness."

"To what?"

"This is the dawn of a new age."

"What does that mean?"

"We are the only four Daleks in existence, so the species must evolve a life outside the shell. The Children of Skaro must walk again," the Dalek speaking to her rolled backwards and turned to face Dalek Sec.

Something was wrong. There was something in Rose's head screaming for her to run away, but she couldn't. It was like she was frozen in her spot. She reached her hand behind her blindly, trusting that the Doctor was still there. A moment later she felt the pressure of his hand in her's. They watched in fascinated horror as Dalek Sec powered down. His casing opened and a biped figure slowly emerged and stood proudly.

"What is it?" Martha gasped.

"I am a human Dalek. I am your future."

* * *

_**Comin Soon: Evolution on the Daleks**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	13. Evolution of the Daleks Part 1

**A/N: Wow! 12 chapters in, and over 100 reviews! That is incredible. Thank you so so much to my followers, those who have favorited and those who have left such amazing reviews! I love this chapter and I hope you do too :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That all goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Evolution of the Daleks. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

_"I am a human Dalek. I am your future." _

Oh this was wrong. So very _wrong. _All Rose could hear was a rushing sound in her ears and she was only vaguely aware that the Doctor had let go of her hand and slipped away. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that Martha was screaming something at the Daleks, but she wasn't really sure what about. All she knew was that every fiber of her being was telling her to run. Run as far away from this _thing _as she could get. Slowly, Rose returned to her senses as a song began playing in the background.

"What is that sound?" Dalek Sec asked.

The Doctor popped up and said, "Ah, well, now, that would be me." He placed the radio he was holding down by a Bunsen burner. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."

"Doctor," Sec acknowledged.

One of the Daleks stated, "The enemy of the Daleks," while another screeched, "Exterminate!"

Rose held her breath in anticipation but Sec ordered, "Wait!"

"Well, then. A new form of Dalek. Fascinating and very clever," the Doctor observed.

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter."

Of course they did. They always do. "How did you end up in 1930?" he questioned.

"Emergency temporal shift," Sec replied to him.

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, huh? Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world, but instead you're skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting," the Doctor taunted. "All of which results in you."

Sec just nodded. "I am Dalek in human form."

"What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it?" The Doctor walked closer and stood face to face with the hybrid. "That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I feel... humanity." Dalek Sec turned away in shame.

"Good. That's good."

"I feel everything we wanted from mankind," he turned back to the Doctor, "which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such a genius for war."

"No, that's not what humanity means-"

"I think it does!" Sec cut him off. "At heart, this species is so very Dalek."

"All right, so what have you achieved then, with this Final Experiment, eh? Nothing!" he yelled before turning towards the other Daleks. "Because I can show you what you're missing with this thing. A simple little radio." He moved and patted the object he had sat down earlier.

"What is the purpose of that device?" one of the Daleks asked.

"Well, exactly. It plays music. What's the point of that? Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course. Then it's all just noise." The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the radio, causing it to emit a high pitch shriek, resulting in pain for Sec and the other Daleks. When the Doctor saw that they were incapacitated, he ordered the prisoners, "Run!"

* * *

Thankfully they had made it out of the sewers unscathed and got back to Hooverville. Tallulah was with them after they had found her wandering the tunnels alone but, much to her dismay, Laszlo had stayed behind with the other pig men. Martha, Tallulah, and Frank all huddled around a small fire as they tried to shake off the events that had unfolded. Rose, however, was glued to the Doctor's side as he explained to Solomon what had happened.

"These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they want to breed?" the man asked for what felt like the hundredth time.

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville. You've got to get everyone out," the Doctor warned vehemently.

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere. Down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things."

"There's not!" Rose snapped. Seeing the man flinch at her short temper, she took a deep breath and said more calmly, "Trust me, I know from experience. I showed sympathy to a Dalek once and do you know what happened? Hundreds of people died because of my carelessness. Don't make my mistakes."

The Doctor frowned. He had no idea she had felt that way about the events that had happened in Utah, oh, ages ago. The deaths that happened were not in any way her fault! He made a mental note to discuss that situation with her at a better time.

"She's right." Frank stood and told his leader, "You ain't seen them, boss."

"Daleks are bad enough at anytime, but right now they're vulnerable. That makes them more dangerous than ever," The Doctor told him.

Suddenly a whistle sounded and a voice in the distance yelled out, "They're coming! They're coming!"

"A sentry. He must have seen something," Solomon said.

As the sentry made his way closer he exclaimed, "They're here! I've seen them! Monsters! They're monsters!"

"It's started," the Doctor stated, pulling Martha and Rose close to him.

It was chaos. Everyone near by was taking up arms, using whatever they could find as weapons. But others chose to run away in fear. And, sadly, those who did were finding themselves captured by the pig men. "We need to get out of the park!" Martha shouted.

"We can't," the Doctor told her. "They're on all sides. They're driving everyone back towards us."

"We're trapped!" Tallulah whimpered as Rose held her free hand out to her.

"Then we stand together!" Solomon proclaimed. "Gather round. Everybody come to me. You there, Jethro, Harry, Seamus, stay together. They can't take all of us." The men encircled the ladies as the pig men approached. As the enemies drew nearer, the shooting began.

Martha clutched a large stick in front of her for protection. "If we can just hold them off till daylight..."

"Oh, Martha," the Doctor sad with an eerie calmness as he looked up, "they're just the foot soldiers." Everybody looked up, following the Doctor's line of sight, and saw a Dalek flying towards them.

"Oh, my god," she whispered.

Solomon stared in horror, "What in this world is-"

"It's the devil," the sentry interrupted. "A devil in the sky! God save us all. It's damnation."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!" Frank lifted his rifle and began shooting at the Dalek, but the bullets just bounced off.

The Doctor let go of Rose's hand and pushed Frank's rifle down. "That's not going to work."

"Doctor, look!" Rose pointed as a second Dalek swooped in and began shooting at the tents people were still hiding in. As others tried to escape the second Dalek shot at them as well.

The Dalek still hovering above them stated, "The humans will surrender."

"Leave them alone. They've done nothing to you!" the Doctor stepped forward and shouted over the sounds of the citizens of Hooverville's cries. The Doctor grabbed Solomon's arm as the other man stepped forward as well. "No, Solomon. Stay back."

The leader of Hooverville didn't listen though and spoke aloud, "I'm told that I'm addressing the Daleks. Is that right? From what I hear, you're outcasts too."

"Solomon, don't!" the Doctor warned, squeezing the man's arm.

"Doctor, this is my will respect my authority," he gave the Time Lord a gentle push backwards and said quietly, "Just let me try." He then turned his attention back to the task at hand. "Daleks, ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" He slowly placed his rifle down on the ground and held his hands up. "Right. See, I've just discovered this past day, God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh yeah, terrifies me right down to the bone. But surely it's got to give me hope. Hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So, I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well? What do you say?"

There was a brief second of silence, where Rose and the Doctor both shared the same hope. Maybe, just _maybe_, the Daleks would see reason. But the next word the Dalek uttered, dashed that hope.

"Exterminate!" Solomon screamed in pain as a burst of green energy bolted through him.

"No!" Frank broke through the crowd and ran to his friend's side. "Solomon!"

"They killed him. They just shot him on the spot." Martha gasped. She had never witnessed such hatred before.

The Doctor watched as Martha clung to Rose's side and Frank wept over Solomon's limp body. _No more, _he vowed to himself. "Daleks. All right, so it's my turn! Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you attacking these people!"

Rose felt a burning pain sear through her heart. _No! _He wouldn't. He wouldn't do that. Not to her.

"I will be the destroyer of our greatest enemy," the Dalek stated.

"Then do it! Do it! Just do it!" he shouted, pounding his chest. "Do it!"

"Noooo!" Rose screamed as she broke free from Martha's hold on her. At the same time the Dalek in the sky commanded, "Exterminate!"

Rose hurdled into the Doctor, shoving him to the ground. They both held their breath in anticipation of their deaths, but nothing happened.

"I do not understand. It is the Doctor... The urge to kill is too strong... I obey," the Dalek said aloud.

"What's going on?" the Doctor asked as he jumped to his feet and shoved Rose behind him.

The Dalek answered a moment later, "You will follow."

Rose gripped his arm tightly as Martha shouted, "No! You can't go."

"I've got to go," he told his newest companion quietly. "The Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks never change their minds."

"But what about us?" Martha asked, terror lacing her voice, as she gestured to the citizens of Hooverville still huddled together. By the look on Rose's face it was obvious she planned on going with the Doctor. She was so scared of being left alone.

The Doctor spared a glance to Rose and let out a sigh before turning back to the Dalek. "One condition! If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! Do you hear me?"

"Humans will be spared. Doctor, follow!"

Rose tightened her hold on the Doctor. "I'm coming with you."

"Me too!" Martha injected.

"Martha, stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt. You can help them," he told her with the deepest sincerity. Then he turned to his Rose, "You have to let me go, Rose. Alone."

"No!" she refused. "I'm coming too. End of story, Doctor."

The Doctor lifted his hand and brushed her hair away from her face before resting his palm against her cheek. "Rose, please," he whispered. "I need you to stay here. My brilliant Rose. Stay and help."

"What can I do?" she asked forcing back a sob. "Please... don't leave me!"

"Don't make this harder on me. You have to stay." He moved his free hand to her other cheek. He lowered her his hand as his lips ghosted across her's. "I believe in you." And with that the Doctor kissed her.

It wasn't what it should be, but it would have to do. Rose felt one of the Doctor's hands leave her face. A moment later it reappeared, trailing down her back, before she felt him slide something into her back pocket. Reluctantly, the Doctor pulled away seconds later. He gave a brief nod to Frank, over Rose's shoulder, and before she could even ask what he was doing she felt another pair of strong arms come up behind her.

"No!" she screamed, kicking and fighting the whole time. "Doctor! No!"

The Doctor shut his eyes in despair before pulling Martha into a handshake. "Can I just say, thank you very much." He stopped and whispered in her ear, "When she's calmed down, have Rose check her pocket." He threw Martha a wink and followed the Dalek away while the sounds of Rose's cries echoed the park.

* * *

A while later, Martha had set up shop in Solomon's tent. Thankfully, no one had been too seriously injured and she was able to treat most with some spare bandages Tallulah had rounded up. Rose had been inconsolable for a short time. Frank was hesitant to let her out of his sight, afraid she might try to follow the Doctor back into the sewers, but eventually, after she sobs had reduced to mere shudders, he felt comfortable enough to leave her in Martha's care.

Martha was just finishing wrapping a man's wrist when Tallulah came in carrying a pot of water. "Here you go. I got some more on the boil."

"Thanks." Martha turned to her patient. "You'll be all right. It's just a cut. Try and keep it clean." The man thanked her and left.

Tallulah leaned against the side of the tent. "So what about us? What do we do now?"

Martha got up and gingerly sat down next to Rose. "Hey, the Doctor told me check your pockets..."

Rose sniffed. She knew he had placed something there, but had been too upset to care. Now she reached in and pulled out a leather wallet. The psychic paper. "It's just this." She flopped it down in her lap. "Don't know why."

"What's that for?" Tallulah asked, moving closer.

"The Doctor uses it when he needs to get into places, convince people he's someone important. I don't know what he expects me to do with it though."

Martha just sighed. She had never seen Rose like this before. True, she hadn't known her that long, but still, she looked so... broken. _Please, Doctor, wherever you are...whatever you're doing... come back to Rose._ Martha silently prayed.

* * *

Rose closed her eyes. What was she doing? She was Rose Tyler and she wouldn't not be some pitiful, useless ape. She might not have anyone to go back to but Martha did. And right now, with the Doctor gone, that made her the one responsible. She opened her eyes and stood, determined to figure out why the Doctor would give her the psychic paper. "The Doctor gave this to me for a reason, I sure." She began pacing the small tent. "But why? He must want me to go somewhere. Tallulah, start looking through Solomon's papers. Work papers, newspapers, whatever. See if there's anything suspicious. Anything related to the disappearances. Martha, finish with whatever patients you have left and see if any of them know of any places that seem fishy. Alright?"

Both women stared at Rose in shock. Minutes earlier she had been a wreck, and now she was doling out orders like some sort of general. Martha smiled and gave the blonde a salute while Tallulah began shifting through Solomon's things.

* * *

"Wait a minute!" Martha came bursting into the tent sometime later. "Down in the sewers, the Daleks mentioned this energy conductor."

Tallulah looked impressed before asking, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know. Maybe like a lightening conductor or..."

"Think, Martha! What else did they say?" Rose asked anxiously.

Martha's eyes lit up. "Dalekanium!"

"That's right! I heard 'em too. They said something about the Dalekanium being in place!" Rose giggled and pulled her friend in for a hug.

"In place where?" Tallulah asked logically.

"Frank might know." Martha led the girls outside to wear Frank was sitting alone, mourning the loss of his friend and leader. She approached him quickly. "Frank?"

"Hmm?" The young man wiped his eyes hastily, not wanting the women to see the evidence of his tears.

"That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah. He could find a profit anywhere."

Rose knelt down next to him. "Where? Was there any particular place?"

"You name it. We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work, that pays the best.

Martha's eyes narrowed and asked gently, "But what sort of building work?"

"Mainly building that." Frank pointed over his shoulder at the Empire State Building.

Rose stood, held her hand out to him and gave her most charming grin. "Frank dearest, how would you like to escort three lovely ladies on a little trip?"

* * *

The Doctor was at a loss. The Daleks wanted his help. No. The Daleks _needed _his help. And on top of the Sec was beginning to question himself, question his entire species. He felt so conflicted. The Daleks were big part of the reason he was the last of his kind. They were also a part of the reason Rose no longer had her mother. But on the other hand, they were changing, evolving. There were only four of them left now. What if things could be different. No second chances. That was his motto. But now... for now he would just have to wait and see.

* * *

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State. Never imagined it quite like this, though," Martha told them as they made their way up to the top of the building, via a rickety service lift.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked nervously.

"To the top," Rose told him. "They're still building up there."

"How come those guys just let us through? How's that thing work?" Tallulah nodded to the wallet in Rose's hand.

"Psychic paper." She grinned proudly. "Shows them whatever I want them to think. According to this, we're two engineers and and two architects." She laughed. If her first Doctor was here he would make some comment about silly humans, believing anything, never mind the fact that in this time, it wasn't likely that there would be any women engineers or architects. Especially dressed the way Tallulah was!

* * *

"Look at this place. Top of the world!" Tallulah exclaimed, in her thick New York accent, as they exited the lift.

They all looked around until Martha came upon some blueprints, "Okay, now this looks good." Frank and Rose moved to either side of her while Tallulah moved towards the open area that overlooked the city.

"Hey, look at the date." Frank pointed to the bottom right hand corner. "These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

Rose clapped her hands. "Oh, well done, Frank!"

The young man beamed under her praise as Martha asked, "You mean the Daleks changed something?"

"Must've." Rose shrugged.

They begin flipping through the pages when Martha spotted the dates on each. "The ones underneath, they're from before. That means that whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not on this one. We need to check one against the other."

They spread the blueprints out side by side on the floor, hoping to see what was different about the newest ones. Frank stood and said, "I'll go and keep an eye out. Make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody butting in."

Tallulah made her way from the open area and back to the other ladies, leaving the sound of thunder in her wake. "There's a hell of a storm moving in."

Rose shivered at her words. She had had enough of approaching and oncoming storms recently, thank you very much.

"I wish the Doctor was here. He'd know what we're looking for." Martha sighed as she stared at the plans of the Empire State Building.

Rose snorted. "That or he would pretend to know what to look for."

"So tell me, where did you all first hook up?" Tallulah asked.

"Well I met the Doctor a few years ago at my old job. He saved my life then I saved his. We've been traveling together ever since," Rose told her. "We met Martha recently at a hospital."

The blonde smiled knowingly. "Of course, him being a doctor."

"Actually, I'm a doctor," Martha injected before giving a slight frown. "Well, kind of."

"You're a physician? Really?"

"I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home."

"Are you a doctor too?" Tallulah asked Rose. "You could be doctors together!"

Rose just laughed. "Nope! I'm just a former shop girl."

"Oh, what a partnership that would be if you were though! Oh, it's such a shame. If only he wasn't so different. You know what I mean?"

"You don't even know, Tallulah, how different he is."

"Yeah, he's a man, sweetheart. That's different enough."

Rose eyes became unfocused as she thought back to the kiss he gave her in Hooverville. "You know sometimes he looks at me and I think..." She shook her head and brushed away a few stray tears. "Never mind. It's silly."

Tallulah placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Oh. Listen, sweetheart. You want to get all sad? You want to have a contest with me and Laszlo?"

She sat up straighter. "Listen, Tallulah, if the Doctor is back with Laszlo then he'll be alright. You'll see!"

"And then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it." Tallulah stood and quickly moved back to the open area as a sob barely escaped her lips.

Rose and Martha silently agreed to let Tallulah be alone for a bit as they continued searching the blueprints. Finally, after what felt like hours of looking, Martha grinned with delight. "Gotcha. Look. There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"

"Brilliant, Martha!" Rose exclaimed.

Tallulah rushed back over to see what they discovered. "Added what?"

The three ladies stared at the blueprints before making eye contact. Each with a wild grin on their faces. "Dalekanium!" They shouted in unison.

* * *

At the sound of their exclamation, Frank came rushing back in the room. Martha went to show him their discovery while Rose moved outside to the open area to see how far up they would have to climb to get to the Dalekanium. Rose heard the chime of the lift and Martha shout out, "Doctor!" Rose stayed where she was. While overjoyed that he was still alive, she wasn't ready to face him yet.

"First floor, perfumery," the Doctor muttered as the lift opened. His eyes immediately fell upon the shape of Rose standing near the edge of the building. Happy that for the moment she seemed to be alright, he turned his attention to Martha, as Tallulah and Laszlo reunited.

"We've worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast. And it's good to see you too, by the way," Martha told him as she showed him the blueprint.

"Oh, come here!" The Doctor swept her into a hug right before he heard the lift begin to close. " No, no, no. See, never waste time with a hug. Deadlock seal. I can't stop it."

"Where's it going?"

"Right down to the Daleks. And they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

Frank glanced at a clock before answering with, "Eleven fifteen."

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits!" the Doctor shouted as he sprinted towards the open area.

Tallulah hugged Laszlo tighter. "Gammon radiation? What the heck is that?"

The Doctor ground to a halt right next to Rose as he stared down at the city below. "Oh, that's high. That's very... Blimey, that's high."

"Yep," Rose said to him, not making eye contact. "And we'll have to go even higher. There's a ladder over here. We'll have to climb up to get to the mast up there." She pointed to the top of the building. "There's three pieces of Dalekanium on the base. We've got to get them off."

"Rose..." The Doctor sighed, hating himself for his next words. "That's not we, that's just me."

Rose just turned away and stepped closer to Martha who stepped up in defense. "We can't just stand here and watch you!"

"No, you're going to have your hands full anyway. I'm sorry, Martha, Rose, but you've got to fight." The Doctor's hearts clench as Rose walked away in defeat. Not even trying to argue with him.

Martha stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. "Be careful."

* * *

Rose watched from the inside as Martha's hand rested on the Doctor's arms. She could tell Martha had said something to him, but wasn't sure what. Frank appeared next to her and gave a playful nudge to her shoulder. "So I hear we have to fight. Shouldn't be a problem for you. I've got the scratches and bruises to prove how tough you are! Reckon these Daleks and Pig Men won't know what hit 'em when you're through with them."

Rose gave the young man a sly smile. "Just call me the big bad wolf!"

* * *

**_Coming Soon: Evolution of the Daleks Part 2_**

**Please Review! xoxo**


	14. Evolution of the Daleks Part 2

**A/N: Hello, loves! I am so sorry about the wait :( Real life got in the way. Bleh. But, to make up for it I'm working on this at an absurd hour and giving you an extra long chapter! Many many thanks to my followers (old&new), those who have favorited, and those of you who have left such amazing reviews. Seriously, folks, thank you. I hope you like this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Evolution of the Daleks. All credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

As the Doctor began his climb up the building. Laszlo, Tallulah, Martha, Frank, and Rose all grabbed various tools they found lying around, and prepared to fight whatever came to stop them. They made a line in front of the lift doors with their weapons raised. A chime was heard and Martha announced, "The lift's coming up."

"I should have brought that gun," Frank muttered.

"Tallulah, stay back. You too, girls," Laszlo said as he tried to push Martha and Rose behind him. "If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

Martha fought back and said, "The Doctor needs me to fight. I'm not going anywhere!"

"They're savages. I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth!" Laszlo yelled as he tried to lift up the lump hammer he was holding. Unfortunately, he could barely raise his arm and ended up collapsing against one of the pillars.

"Laszlo? What is it?" Tallulah crouched in front of him.

"No, it's nothing. I'm fine. Just leave me."

She ran her hands over his face. "Oh, honey, you're burning up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."

"Great. One man down, we ain't even started yet," Frank said quietly to Rose and Martha.

"It's not looking good, Frank," Martha agreed.

"Nope."

"Come on, you two! We can't afford to think like that. Not right now," Rose scolded them.

Martha looked at Rose with panic laced in her eyes. "We're going to get slaughtered!"

"No," Rose said forcefully. "We will not, Martha. We're going to..." Rose attention was diverted by the thunder and lightning.

Martha watched as the wheels began to turn in Rose's mind. She followed the other woman's line of vision and realized what Rose was thinking. "Wait a minute...Lightning!"

Rose beamed at her. "Exactly!"

Frank look on with confusion as both women ran outside and began collecting the scrapes of scaffolding. He quickly figured out what they were doing and ran to help.

"Aw, you'll be all right, sweetheart. Don't you worry," Tallulah soother her love before turning her attention back to the other three. "What the hell are you clowns doing?"

Martha explained as they worked on moving more pieces of metal, "Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still going to get hit. Great big bolt of lightening, electricity all down this building-" Martha huffed as she lifted a heavy pole.

"If we connect this to the lift then they get zapped," Rose finished for her friend.

"Oh my God, that could work!" Tallulah looked surprised.

Frank looked at her with slight annoyance. "Then give us a hand."

After they finished attaching the metal to the lift, Tallulah, Laszlo, Rose, and Martha all moved to the center of the room.

"Is that going to work?" Tallulah asked not doubting their plan.

Martha took a deep breath. "It's got to."

Frank came running back in from the outside. "I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside.

"That's good, Frank. Come sit with us here in the middle. And remember, everybody, don't touch anything metal!" Rose warned them all.

A few moments later and the lift opened, revealing a small group of the pig slaves. There was a second where nothing happened, and they all feared that their plan had failed, but then lightning stuck the Empire State building. The electricity ran through all the metal they had gathered and shocked the life out of the Pig Men. When it was over, Martha broke away from the group and ran to get a better look at the collapsed bodies.

"You did it, Martha," Tallulah exclaimed as she moved to stand next to her new friend.

"They used to be like Laszlo," Martha continued to stare at the limp forms of the Pig Men. "They were people, and I killed them."

"No," Laszlo denied. "The Daleks killed them. Long ago."

Rose moved past the group as her eyes moved across the wreckage of the lift. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Rose repeated the Doctor's mantra in his absence. "Oh my god. The Doctor!" She ran towards the outside area. She quickly began to make her way up the ladder, and was followed by Frank and Martha.

* * *

_Where is he?!_ Rose kept asking herself. Praying to every deity she could think of that the Doctor was alright. Her thoughts took a turn for the worst when Martha spotted something halfway up laying on the ledge.

"Rose! Look!" Martha pointed and Rose quickly realized it was the sonic screwdriver. Without a word, Rose grabbed the device and continued her climb. Once they were at the top, they found the Dalekanium still in place and the Doctor collapsed next to it.

Rose gasped and slid to her knees next to him, "Doctor! Doctor? Come on, Doctor wake up." She held up the sonic screwdriver. "Look what Martha found halfway down. Whatcha doin' being that careless with the sonic? Hmm? This one's still fairly new. I would hate for you to have to make another." Rose ran her hand down his face and discreetly checked his pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt the double beats.

The Doctor began to groan and Rose stood and moved away from him. It was just too much right now. She had been so angry with him, still was if she was being honest, but seeing his him like that, his body prone and open to the dangerous elements, it was just too much. Sensing Rose's reluctant emotions, Martha moved closer to the Doctor to take her place.

"Oh my head," The Doctor mumbled.

"Hiya!" Martha smiled when he opened his eyes.

"Hi. You survived, then." His eyes suddenly opened wider. "Rose! Where is she?"

"I'm here," Rose said so quietly that Frank, who was standing next to her, could barely hear. But the Doctor did.

He let out a relieved sigh. "You're alive."

"So are you, just about," Martha said when Rose remained silent. "I can't help noticing there's Dalekanium still attached."

The Doctor popped up into a sitting position. "That it is. Come on! We need to get back down." After they all mind the frightening climb back down to the office, and were joined by Tallulah and Laszlo, the Doctor began to explain the predicament, "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing. They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan." His gaze settled on the city in question.

"How do we stop them?" Laszlo asked logically.

"There's only one chance. I got in the way. That gamma strike went zapping though me first." The Doctor moved away from the open are followed by the rest.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha questioned him.

"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them. Where can I draw them out? Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe. Somewhere out of the way," The Doctor ran his hands through his hair, a sure sign of his frustration, when he suddenly turned to the Laszlo's girlfriend. "Tallulah!"

"That's me." She smiled. "Three Ls and an H."

"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"

"Don't see why not."

"Is there another lift?"

His eyes fell on Rose, but it was Martha who answered with, "We came up in the service elevator."

"That'll do. Allons-y!"

* * *

"This should do it. Here we go," the Doctor said as he made his way through the stalls of the empty theatre.

"There ain't nothing more creepy than a theatre in the dark." Tallulah shivered. "Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for show tunes, but there's a time and place, huh?"

Rose snorted and was met with a quick glare from the Doctor. She averted her eyes as he sighed and began to work with the screwdriver.

Laszlo collapsed into one of the seats as Tallulah rushed towards him, "Laszlo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he told her. "It's just so hot."

"But it's freezing in here. Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah. Sorry," the Doctor answered as he continued his adjustments to the sonic.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one enemy. I'm just telling them where I am." The Doctor took a deep breath in preparation of what he was about to say next. "Listen, you all need to get out of here before the Daleks and their army get here. Go back and wait for me in Hooverville."

Rose rolled her eyes in annoyance. Honestly, the Doctor's demand didn't surprise her. She was shocked he actually "let" them come into the theatre at all. She sat down, a few chairs away from him and refused to make eye contact. She was bloody well done with arguing with him. She was staying, whether he liked it or not.

"No way!" Martha told him defiantly.

"I'm telling you to go!" He snapped back at her. "Frank can take you back to Hooverville."

"And I'm telling you I'm not going."

"Martha, that's an order."

"Who are you, then? Some sort of Dalek?" She asked, her anger with him clearly visible.

Rose winced. That was low, but maybe it was what he needed to hear. Her thoughts were interrupted as the doors broke open and a large group of people began marching in on either side of the theatre. Rose stood up slowly and said, "Damn. Guess it's too late for us to go now."

"Doctor! Oh, my God!" Tallulah screamed before helping Laszlo stand up. Having him in her arms seemed to help as she then asked more calmly, "Well, I guess that's them then, huh?"

Martha looked around at the normal looking people surrounding them. "Humans, with Dalek DNA?" Her gaze settled on the large guns in their hands.

Frank began looking around for an exit but was stopped by the Doctor. "It's all right, it's all right. Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But what of the Dalek masters? Where are they?" Laszlo asked.

His question was answered when a small explosion went off on the stage. The Doctor shoved Rose down, and was thankful to see that the others had followed suit. The began slowly lifting their heads to see the damage. As the smoke cleared, two Daleks appeared along with Dalek Sec, on his hands and knees, being led in by a chain.

"The Doctor will stand before the Daleks," one of the Daleks commanded. The Doctor climbed on top of one of the seats and continued walking across the tops, towards his enemies. Once in front of him the same Dalek said, "You will die, Doctor. It is the beginning of a new age."

"Planet Earth will become New Skaro," the other taunted.

"Oh, and what a world. With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt. That's Dalek Sec." He gestured to their chained up leader. "Don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new Empire, hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"My Daleks, just understand this," Sec rasped out. "If you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose you."

"Incorrect. We will always survive," the Daleks screeched. "Now we will destroy our greatest enemy, the Doctor."

"But he can help you..." Sec begged.

Rose began moving across the seats, closer to the Doctor. She would not let them kill her Doctor. She was the Bad Wolf, whether she carried the heart of the TARDIS in her or not. She wanted her Doctor safe.

The Daleks ignored Sec. "The Doctor must die."

"No, I beg you, don't." The half human Dalek crawled in front of the Daleks.

"Exterminate!"

Rose jumped up on the seat next to the Doctor, and clutched his body to her's. Once again they were not killed. But, instead of the Daleks changing their mind, this time Dalek Sec stood and took the death ray onto himself.

"They killed him," Rose whispered as she moved farther from the Doctor, but kept her hand in his.

The Doctor shook his head in disgust. "Your own leader. The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him. Do you see what they did?" He turned his attention to the Dalek's human army. "Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?" He looked back to the creatures in front of him. "If I'm going to die, let's give the new boys a shot. What do you think, eh? The Dalek humans. Their first blood. Go on, baptise them." He squeezed Rose's hand and gave her a look she knew well. _Trust me, _it said. She lifted her eyebrow and he knew her response. _Do it. _He let go of her and held his arms out in total abandon.

"Dalek humans, take aim," one Dalek ordered before the other finally took notice of Rose.

"Warning! It is the Abomination. The destroyer of the Emperor."

Rose gave a harsh laugh. "That's right! Two for the price of one. So what are you waiting for? Give the command!"

The Doctor held his breath. Hoping with all hope that this would turn out like he needed it to. If something happened to Rose, the Daleks might as well kill him, cause he wasn't sure he could go on without her.

"Exterminate!" echoed through the theatre, but nothing happened. The Dalek humans had their weapons trained on them, but didn't fire. "Exterminate!" the Dalek repeated. "Obey. Dalek humans will obey."

"They're not firing," Martha gasped. "What have you done?"

"You will obey. Exterminate."

"Why?" one of the humans questioned.

The Daleks rolled back in what Rose was sure was surprise. "Daleks do not question orders."

"But why?"

"You will stop this."

"But why?"

"You must not question."

The Dalek human made eye contact with the Doctor before saying, "But you are not our master. And we, we are not Daleks."

"No, you're not. And you never will be. Sorry, I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up." The Doctor said as he turned to Rose and winked, "Just that little bit of freedom."

"If they will not obey, then they must die," the Dalek stated firmly before shooting the questioning human.

"Get down!" the Doctor screamed as the Daleks and the their mutated humans began to fire at one another. He pulled Rose into his embrace as the Daleks began the haunting chants of, "Exterminate!"

* * *

Rose heard Martha and Tallulah scream as both Daleks exploded and were destroyed. Firing ceased and the Doctor stood with his arms raised, "It's all right, it's all right, it's all right. You did it. You're free," he told the mutated humans. Right then, a high pitched sound wailed through the theatre, causing the mutations to clutch their heads and collapse. "No! They can't! They can't! They can't! They can't!" He ran forward and check one of their pulses. Dead. All of them.

"What happened? What was that?" Martha asked frantically as she made her was closer to the Doctor.

"They killed them, rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide." He spat out and Rose felt her stomach churn at the thought.

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed. One of the Dalek masters must still be alive," Laszlo said with caution.

Rose shut her eyes. Of course there was one still alive. The Doctor was thinking the same thing as he stood. "Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one." He looked at Rose and simply said, "Are you coming?"

Rose only nodded in agreement, afraid that her voice might give away how frightened she was in that moment.

"What do we do?" Martha asked quietly. She had wanted to go with them to confront the Dalek but realized that clearly this was something they needed to do alone.

"Might as well head back to Hooverville," The Doctor said stiffly as he turned away. Rose sent an apologetic look to Martha before following him.

* * *

"Now what?" the Doctor asked as he stood side by side with Rose once they entered the laboratory.

"You will be exterminated," The Dalek informed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Just think about it, Dalek what was your name?"

"Dalek Caan."

"Dalek Caan," the Doctor repeated as he began striding forward with Rose still holding his hand. "Your entire species has been wiped out. And now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated, leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion." He stopped walking. "Because I've just seen one genocide. I won't cause another. Caan, let me help you. What do you say?"

Caan began shaking as he said, "Emergency temporal shift!" The cables attached to him gave way and the Dalek disappeared.

"No!" The Doctor moved forward in anger, letting go of Rose's hand. At the loss of his physical support, Rose slowly fell to her knees with tears threatening to spill.

"Doctor!" Martha screamed as she and Tallulah entered the laboratory, supporting a weak, wheezing Laszlo. "Doctor! He's sick. It's okay. You're all right," she told soothed the sick man as they laid him on the ground. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?" Tallulah asked on the verge of hysteria.

"It's time, sweetheart," Laszlo mumbled.

The blonde shook her head. "What do you mean, time? What are you talking about?"

"None of the slaves survive for long. Most of them only live for a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on because I had you. But now, I'm dying, Tallulah."

"No, you're not. Not now, after all this. Doctor, can't you do something?"

The Doctor had moved closer and had his hands clasped as heard Rose stifling a sob. "Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H, just you watch me." He stood and began looking around. What do I need? Oh, I don't know. How about a great big genetic laboratory? Oh look, I've got one." He began mixing various liquids into a beaker, giving off the impression of quite the mad scientist. "Laszlo, just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now, I am not having one more death! You got that? Not one. Tallulah, out of the way. The Doctor is in."

* * *

"Where's Frank?" Rose whispered to Martha as the Doctor worked on healing Laszlo.

"He's waiting up in Tallulah's dressing room. He had started to come with us but as soon as we made it into the tunnels, he began recognizing some of the bodies of the mutants," Martha told her with a frown.

"Poor Frank. I think I'll go check on him." Rose didn't wait for Martha's reply, nor did she inform the Doctor of where she was going. He had his hands full at the moment and while she knew they needed to talk eventually, right now she needed some space.

* * *

Sometime later, after Laszlo was resting healthy and comfortable in Tallulah's arms, the Doctor noticed that one of his companions was missing. "Martha! Where's Rose?" He asked, trying to hide the nerves he was feeling. There was still a Dalek out there somewhere and if anything had happened to her...

"She's gone to check on Frank," Martha responded.

"And where might that be."

"They're just up in Tallaluh's dressing room," she said with a huff of annoyance before adding, "She'll be fine, Doctor."

When the small group entered the dressing room a short time later, they found it completely empty. The Doctor felt his hearts drop before he found a note waiting on the vanity.

_Gone with Frank to Hooverville. He needs to explain to everybody what happened._

_And if Laszlo is better, then he will be needing a safe place to stay. _

_Frank and I will do our best to make sure that people won't harass him or what not._

_Wait for us in the park, outside of Hooverville._

_Rose._

The Doctor felt a sigh of relief that she hadn't been kidnapped, but, couldn't help but shake his head that she once again wandered off. At least this time she left a note.

* * *

"Are you gonna be alright, Frank?" Rose asked the young man as they broke away from the meeting they had held with the citizens of Hooverville. Frank had done a magnificent job, leading the meeting. Rose only stepped in a few times when a couple of the men needed a good old Tyler talking down.

"I s'pose." He shrugged.

"You did a great job with that meeting. You'll make a fantastic leader."

Frank shook his head in disbelief. "I'm no leader, Rose. That was Solomon's job."

"Sure you are!" She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry about what happened with Solomon, Frank. I know you cared about him. But he's... he's not here now. And you need to step and apply everything he taught you and be the man I know you can be."

"You really think I can do it?"

"Nope." She smiled. "I know you can."

They continued their walk through Hooverville in silence. Each taking in the events of the previous night/morning. When they made it to the perimeter Frank stopped her. "Rose, I just want to say how sorry I am about holding you back from the Doctor when he was going off with them Daleks. I know how upset you were but he just looked at me and I knew exactly what he wanted."

She sighed and gave a grin. "S'alright. I know you meant well. Besides, it's not you I'm angry with. It's him."

"Just do me a favor. Don't be too angry. There was this girl back home that I fancied quite a bit, her name was Lizzie, and if we had been in the same situation you and the Doc were in last night, I would have done the same thing he did."

"I won't make and promises, Frank. But I'll try."

He grinned and threw his arm over his shoulder. "Come on, I think I see our group waiting for us over by the trail."

* * *

The Doctor felt a surge of jealousy run through him at the sight of Frank's arm around Rose as they walked closer to him. He couldn't make out what was being said but he saw the young man whisper something and Rose break out into a fit of giggles.

When the giddy pair approached the group. Frank came right out with it. "Well, we talked to them, and I told them what Solomon would've said, and I reckon I shamed one or two of them." He stopped and gave the woman on his left a knowing look. "Reckon Rose shamed a few more."

"What did they say?" the Doctor asked tentatively.

He grinned. "They said yes. They'll give you a home, Laszlo. I mean, er, don't imagine people ain't going to stare. I can't promise you'll be at peace but, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for. People who ain't got nowhere else."

Laszlo hugged Tallulah tighter and looked around at his new friends. "Thank you. I can't thank you enough."

They all said quiet goodbyes as the Doctor explained that it was time for them to leave. All expressed their thank you's and condolences to one another.

Frank pulled Rose aside and drew her into a giant hug. "I'll miss you, Rose."

"I'll miss you too, Frank!" She pulled away from the hug and straightened out his coat. "You know, if I ever had a little brother, I hope he would be just like you."

"That's quite the compliment, m'am." He nodded his head and then gave a furious blush as Rose kissed his cheek.

"Take care of yourself," she whispered.

"Go easy on him," Frank whispered back. "He's obviously crazy about you."

Rose just sighed as Martha made her way over to say her goodbye to him. She walked back closer to the Doctor but remained steadily silent in his presence.

* * *

Rose kept up her silence on their trip back to Bedloe Island, though Martha kept up a steady stream of chatter with the Doctor. When they finally had the TARDIS in their sights they turned back to take one final look as the city.

"Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?" Martha asked, clearly referring to Tallulah and Laszlo.

"I don't know." The Doctor took a deep breath. "Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at. 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,' and maybe the odd pig slave Dalek mutant hybrid too."

She giggled could see Rose suppressing her own mirth. "The pig and the showgirl!"

The Doctor laughed. "The pig and the showgirl," he agreed.

"It just proves it, I suppose." Martha looked up at the Doctor. "There's someone for everyone."

Rose sighed and turned back towards the TARDIS. The Doctor's eyes followed her retreat as he muttered, "Maybe." He followed Rose's path back, nodding for Martha to follow.

She stopped him when they reached their destination. "Meant to say, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Just because that Dalek got away. I know what that means to you. And to Rose," she added. "Think you'll ever see it again?"

"Oh, yes." He opened the door and allowed Martha to enter the ship. "One day."

* * *

Upon entering he noticed Rose sitting on the jump seat. Her arms were crossed as she stared at the console like it held the secrets of the universe. _Which, _the Doctor thought to himself, _it practically does._

Martha looked between her two friends before saying, "I think I'll go have a lie down. Let you two talk for a bit."

As she exited the room, the Doctor quickly sent his ship into the Vortex. He turned back and leaned against the console, facing Rose.

"What was I supposed to do if the Daleks had killed you, Doctor?" she asked straight away, not holding back.

He ran his hands over his face. "Rose," he sighed, "that wasn't going to happen."

"You practically begged them to kill you!" Rose shouted. "And what if they had?! Do you think that would have appeased them? They would have left and never returned. If you really think that then you're thicker than I thought."

"You're right. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He closed his eyes. "You know what they do to me, Rose. I don't think rationally when they're around."

She took a calming breath before replying. "But that's why you have me! We're a team remember? Better with two. Shiver and Shake. You should have let me come with you."

He opened his eyes and stared at her. "No. No, Rose. I had no idea what I was walking into. I won't have you be killed just because you think you need to take care of me."

"I don't think I need to take care of you, Doctor. I know I do."

Her gave her a mocking smile. "I'm over nine hundred years old, Rose. I've been taking care of myself for a long time."

"Yeah, well you been doing a shite job of it if you ask me. And you'd be even worse if it wasn't for the TARDIS." When he remained quiet she got up and stood before him. "You're all I have left, Doctor. I am never going to see my mum or Mickey again. I will never get to know the other Pete. I will never know if I ended up having a baby brother or sister. And I will never get to watch that child grow up." When guilt crossed his face she continued, "I don't regret my decision to stay with you, Doctor. If I had to make it again, I would still choose this life. I would still choose you! But this is never going to continue working if you're always leaving me behind because you're worried about me. We. Are. A. Team." She poked him in the chest. "Got it?"

He swallowed and carefully answered, "I promise to try, Rose. But you have to understand... You... You are everything to me. And I couldn't bear losing you. I just... It would break my hearts, Rose."

She blinked back tears. "And how do you think I would feel if something happened to you? I may not have two hearts, Doctor. But my one heart would shatter."

The Doctor pulled Rose into his embrace and whispered, "Can we just promise to never put ourselves in situations where one of us might be hurt?"

Rose laughed and shifted so she could look up at him. "Deal."

"You should go to bed. You must be exhausted." She gave a small nod but continued clutching him. "Rose?"

"Will you stay with me?" She asked with small voice. "Just for a bit at least."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just... Daleks. Y'know? I'm a little afraid of a nightmare."

The Doctor kissed the top of her head. "Of course I'll stay. I'll always stay if you need me."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Lazarus Experiment.**_

**Please Review! xoxo**


	15. The Lazarus Experiment Part 1

**A/N: Hello! Big thanks to my followers, those who have favorited this, and those who have reviewed! Special thanks to my new followers who even review older chapters. I love hearing your guy's thoughts! I hope you like this next chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Lazarus Experiment. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor didn't need much sleep. He often wished Rose didn't need much either. Such a waste of precious time. Human's lives were so fleeting and they spent over half of it being claimed by Morpheus. Such a waste. Yet, the Doctor could not deny the fact that he loved watching Rose Tyler sleep. Not that he would ever admit it to her, obviously, but sometimes he would sneak into her room and watch her rest for a bit. He often did it after a particularly rough adventure. One where he would almost lose her. Again.

This time, as he watched her sleep, he had been invited. It wasn't the first time the request had been made. Sometimes she needed the reassurance of his presence as well. He would always lay down next to her, holding her hand, rubbing small soothing circles on her palm with his thumb. Often she would ask him to tell her a story. Her requests varied by her mood. Sometimes she needed a laugh. So he would tell her the most lighthearted things he could think of. Other times she needed something a little more mellow. More subdued. But whether he was there by request or not, he always left before she awoke.

Last night she didn't request a story. She clutched his hand tightly. Too tight. She was so wound up, it would take hours for her to fall asleep. So, without a word, the Doctor let go of her hand and pulled her closer, letting his chest become her pillow. He began tracing slow, circular patterns on her back and humming a simple lullaby. In reality, he wasn't just tracing patterns. He was writing the words of his people across her back. Different things. Her name, the story of how they met, the story of how he died for her, so many things. They truly were the stuff of legends. The lullaby he hummed wasn't just a senseless tune either. It was an old song. A song that only the TARDIS knew now.

He stayed with her for hours and, as promised, kept her nightmares at bay. He wanted nothing more in the universe then to stay with her until she woke. Stay and see her eyes, still filled with sleep, blinking up at him with a smile playing on her lips. But he couldn't. That would be wrong of him. She was his companion. Nothing more. Well, that was a lie. She was _so _much more. But as extraordinary as she may be, she was still human. And he would not take advantage of her like that. It would be too dangerous. For both of them. So as the night cycle in the TARDIS came to an end, the Doctor quickly removed himself from Rose's embrace, and snuck out. He was a fool when it came to Rose Tyler.

* * *

Rose opened her eyes as she heard her bedroom door shut. She sighed and clutched the pillow he had been laying on tighter, inhaling the scent he left behind. He would never admit to her that he stayed the whole night and she would never tell him that she knew he did. Just like she would never tell him about how she was well aware that he would sneak into her room at night and watch her sleep. A small part of her thought that she should probably be angry with him for that. If you think about it, it is a bit creepy. But it didn't bother her one bit. She knew why he did it. She was well aware of his insecurities where she was concerned, because she had the same about him. It was for that reason that she often stayed with him in the control room while he worked on the TARDIS. It's not like she could help him with that, not really. The most she could do was hand him parts when he needed, and even then she had no clue what he was talking about and would have to guess what ever mechanical thingamajig he was describing.

She wished with all her might that just one time he would stay with her until it was time to wake. But she couldn't ask that of him. That was just too... _domestic. _He stayed with her because he cared about her, but actually _staying _with her, seeing the night through? That would just be far too intimate for her silly Time Lord. As she inhaled the sweet, yet spicy, scent of the Doctor one last time, she got up and began getting ready for her day.

* * *

A couple hours later, Martha entered the control room and found the Doctor fiddling with the console while Rose sat on the jump seat munching on a apple. She caught a small grin between the pair and breathed a sigh of relief. It seems they had made up since last night.

"Ready?" the Doctor asked her.

"Always!" Martha grinned. "Wait, what am I ready for?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "Hold on tight!" He began twisting various buttons and knobs and flipping a lever here and there until the TARDIS came to a stop. "There we go. Perfect landing. Which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

"You should be used to tight spots by now," she joked. "Where are we?"

"The end of the line," he told her as she ran for the door. "No place like it." He nodded as she stepped out of the ship.

Rose hopped off the jump seat and gave him a confused look. "Are we where I think we are?" He gave her a small, half hearted smile and took her hand as they followed Martha out the door. They walked out and found themselves in a tiny, messy, flat. Rose thought it suited it's owner perfectly.

Martha was looking around with disappointment. "Home. You took me home?"

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours. No time at all, really," he answered as he looked at the family pictures she had on display. Rose felt a tug on her heart and thought that perhaps she should take some of the pictures she had kept from her's and her mum's flat and put them up in her room. They shouldn't be shoved away in a box somewhere.

"But all the stuff we've done," Martha injected. "Shakespeare, New New York, old New York?"

"Yep, all in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was. Books, CDs, laundry." He picked up a pair of her knickers and held them up. Martha grabbed them while Rose gave him a swift elbow into his side. "So," he continued, "back where you were, as promised."

She looked between him and Rose, shock evident on her face. "This is it?"

"Yeah, I should probably er-" He was saved from finishing his sentence as a phone began ringing, followed by Martha's answering machine starting up.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as a woman's voice came over the machine.

**_"Martha, are you there? Pick it up, will you?"_**

"It's Mum. It'll wait."

**_"All right then, pretend that you're out if you like." _**The three shared a giggle.**_ "I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."_**

Martha flipped on her telly and saw her sister standing next to an elderly gentleman, giving a press conference.

**"The details are top secret-"**

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha wondered aloud.

**"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device which will redefine our world." **

Rose frowned at the man's statement while Martha explained what her sister did, "She's got a new job. PR for some research lab."

**"With the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human." **

She shrugged and shut the telly off. "Sorry. You were saying we should...?"

The Doctor continued to stare at the screen before answering, "Yes, yes, we should. One trip is what we said." He leaned against the TARDIS.

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of escalated."

"Mmm. Seems to happen to us a lot." He nudged Rose.

"Thank you. Both of you. For everything."

The Doctor grinned. "It was our pleasure." He opened the door of the TARDIS and entered.

Rose gave a small giggle and hugged Martha, "See you in a few!" she whispered.

"What do you mean?" Martha frowned.

Rose didn't answer but followed the Doctor into the TARDIS. She stayed near the doors as the he began the dematerialization process. She laughed out loud when he stopped and began to reverse everything he just did. "Took you long enough!" she teased.

He rolled his eyes as he moved past her and stuck his head out the door. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

* * *

"Sooo... you two kiss and made up, I presume?" Martha teased. Her sister, Tish, had invited her to the demonstration gala that evening to witness what the man on the telly had been talking about. The Doctor promised her that it would be no problem getting himself and Rose "invited" as well. Now Rose was on the hunt for a dress to wear to the formal event. Martha already had a dress set aside but was helping Rose try to find something in the TARDIS wardrobe.

"I don't know what you mean, Martha." Rose blushed.

"Oh come off it!" She laughed. "Last night you were practically shooting daggers at him, now you two keep smiling at each other like lovesick teenagers."

"I told you before. There's nothing going on between me and the Doctor."

"Seriously? You're not just saying that? But, blimey, that kiss he gave you! Not just in New York but what about in the hospital?"

Rose pulled a couple of dresses off one of the racks and held them up. "The kiss in the hospital was so we could delay the Judoon for as long as possible. The kiss in New York was... was just a d-distraction so he could slip the psychic paper in my pocket."

Martha snorted. "I don't buy that for one minute."

"You don't have to buy it, Martha. But it's the truth." She gave a deep sigh. "The Doctor doesn't do proper relationships. 'S just the way he is. The Doctor doesn't snog for fun or because he actually _wants _to." She turned away and mumbled, "Unless you're the uncrowned queen of France."

"I'm sorry, what?" Martha asked. Did she hear her correctly?

"Nothing." She shrugged off the question.

Martha was so confused. Never in her life had she met two more complicated, complex, irritating, and yet completely fascinating people. It was obvious they cared deeply for each other. No, scratch that, it was obvious the two were madly in love. But neither were actually doing anything about it. It made no sense. Martha would kill to have someone look at her the was the Doctor looks at Rose. She checked her watch and frowned. If she was going to be ready in time for the gala, she needed to start now. "Rose? I'm gonna head back into my flat to get ready."

"No problem. Do you think this dress will be alright?" She held up the dress she had been contemplating.

Martha grinned. She doubted the Doctor would be able to keep his eyes off her in that number. "I think that dress is perfect for you!"

* * *

Rose was desperately trying to be ready on time, but she couldn't get her hair up in the style she wanted it. The dress she had chose was a silky gold material with a sheer, sparkly overlay. It had tiny straps that held up the figure hugging v-neck and it fell right past her knees. Rose thought a pretty up do would look best and compliment the style of the dress perfectly. Sadly, she was having a hard time getting her hair to cooperate. It didn't help that she had a horrible headache. The steady pounding reverberating through her skull was only making matters worse.

Finally, Rose threw the clip she had been using down on the counter. Fine. Down and wavy will have to work. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took some calming breaths. When she took her hand away and focused, she realized that the TARDIS had laid out a pair of her mum's small gold hoop earrings. Her dad had bought those for her. Had saved for months, mum said, just so he could get her something special for her birthday. Rose laid her hand on the wall and sent a wave of gratitude to the ship before putting the small hoops on her ears.

* * *

"Where's Rose?" Martha asked when she entered the control room and only found the Doctor.

"Still getting ready I presume," he told her. "Human woman! I'll never know what takes you lot so long."

"Oi! I'm right here!" A voice echoed from down the corridor. A moment later, the figure belonging to the voice appeared.

The Doctor audibly swallowed. She looked like the goddess she was. From the gold fabric wrapping her body, to the shimmering shadow placed on her eye lids. Even the hair cascading to her shoulders in waves. He was very much reminded of how she looked back on the Game Station. Terrifyingly beautiful. "You look... amazing," he said quietly.

Rose blushed and ducked her head. "Thanks."

It was then he noticed how she gave a slight wince when she twisted her head. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," she assured him. "Just a headache."

"Do you want to stay here?" _Please say no! _He thought to himself selfishly.

"Nah! I'll be fine. Are we ready to get going?"

He held out an arm to each lady. "I was born ready. Allons-y!"

* * *

As the trio walked down the street the Doctor began fiddling with his tux. "Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"It's not the outfit, that's just you," Martha told him. "Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

"James Bond?" He looked to Rose. "Really?"

Rose nodded in agreement. "Oh yes! James Bond, kitchen staff, you know... either or!" She gave gave him her signature tongue in teeth grin.

"Ha ha very funny Miss Tyler." He told her as they found their way to a building marked **Lazarus Laboratories.** "Guess this is it!"

* * *

Rose shivered as the Doctor talked their way into the party. He pulled out the psychic paper and somehow convinced security that they were Martha's plus two. As she entered the building she felt a sharp pain in her head. _"Oh you think you're so clever don't you!?" _a voice whispered. Rose turned around frantically, expecting to see someone there. She realized that no one was near her. Even the Doctor and Martha had walked ahead. Rose shook it off. It was just a headache. They would figure out what was going on with the creepy old man and then head back to the TARDIS where she could get some rest.

* * *

Rose caught up with the Doctor and Martha in the reception room. She looked around and saw a circular dais in the center of the room. On it was a large frosted glass chamber and four upright posts. Rose rolled her eyes as the Doctor stopped one of the waiters walking by with a tray of food.

"Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles." He said right before shoving some straight into his mouth.

"Hello," the woman they had seen on the news earlier said as she hugged Martha.

"Tish!" Martha greeted back.

"You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

"Very."

"And two nights out in a row for you. That's dangerously close to a social life," Tish joked.

Martha grinned at her sister. "If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns!"

"You might, actually," she told her seriously. "You should keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too. Even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie? That I must see." Martha paused and noticed Tish eyeing the man on her right. "This is, uh, the Doctor."

"Hello!" He greeted cheerfully as he switched the nibbles in his hand so he could properly shake Tish's hand.

"Is he with you?" Tish looked at her sister in shock.

"Yeah. And Rose." She nodded to the blonde on the Doctor's right. Rose gave a small wave.

"But they're not on the list. How did they get in?"

"They're my... plus two," Martha said unconvincingly.

The Doctor decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "So, this Lazarus, he's your boss?"

"Professor Lazarus," she corrected, "yes. I'm part of his executive staff."

Martha rolled her eyes. "She's in the PR department."

"I'm head of the PR department, actually," Tish bristled.

"You're joking!"

"I put this whole thing together."

"So do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" the Doctor interrupted the sisters. "That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

"He's a science geek. I should have known." Tish muttered causing Rose to frown at her. "Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later."

"Science geek? What does that mean?" he asked Martha quietly.

She smirked. "That your obsessively enthusiastic about it."

"Oh, nice. Did you hear that, Rose? I'm a science geek!" He gave her a silly grin.

Rose reached for his hand and said with all sincerity, "Yes, Doctor. I know."

* * *

A short while later, as they admired the piece of machinery in the middle of the room, they heard a female voice behind them. "Martha."

Martha turned around and rushed into the woman's embrace. "Mum!"

Martha's mother pulled back and gave her daughter a questioning look. "All right, what's the occasion?"

"What do you mean? I'm just pleased to see you, that's all," she told her.

"You saw me last night."

"I know. I just miss you. You're looking good, Leo," she greeted her brother.

He chuckled. "Yeah. If anyone asks me to fetch them a drink, I'll swing for him."

"You disappeared last night," her mum pointed out.

"I just went home."

The older woman eyed the Doctor and asked, "On your own?" Not liking her tone of voice, Rose pulled wrapped her arm around the Time Lord's.

Martha stepped aside. "These are friends of mine. Rose and the Doctor."

"Doctor what?"

"No, it's just the Doctor," Martha corrected. "We've been doing some work together."

Leo held his hand out and shook the Doctor's before turning to Rose. "Hello there. Wonderful to meet you." He winked.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs Jones. Heard a lot about you," the Doctor said as he shook hands with Martha's mum.

"Have you?" She raised her head and eyed him warily. "What have you heard, then?"

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother and..." He floundered for something to say. "Uh, no, actually, that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat. You know, been busy."

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?"

"Oh you know. Stuff."

"We help people, Mrs. Jones." Rose gave the woman a stern look. Martha's mother or not, she rubbed Rose the wrong way.

Thankfully at that moment they heard someone tap on their glass and the room descended into silence. The elderly man known as Lazarus stepped up on the dais and began addressing the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I am going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder. Tomorrow, you will wake to a world which will be changed forever."

Lazarus stepped inside the machine and closed the door. Two female scientists started the machine by pressing a large red button. Rose gasped and felt her heart began to race as the four columns began to oscillate and rotate around the chamber, pouring energy into it.

* * *

Her head was pounding.

_"Do you feel it?"_

Rose covered her mouth as a wave of nausea passed over her.

_"Soon, my dear. So soon."_

* * *

Rose blinked back into awareness at the sound of an alarm going off.

"Something's wrong. It's overloading!" the Doctor shouted.

The control panels for the machine began sparking and smoke poured out of them. As the Doctor ran over to work on them an older woman yelled, "Somebody stop him. Get him away from those controls!"

"If this thing goes up, it'll take the whole building with it. Is that what you want?" the Doctor asked right before he pulled a large power cable. The contraption came to a slow halt as Martha and Rose rushed forward to open the large door. "Get it open!" he told them.

As the door opened a young man staggered out. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy six years old and I am reborn!" He held his arms out as the crowd bust out in applause.

Rose clutched the Doctor's arm. "This is wrong," she whispered.

* * *

A while later they watched as Lazarus posed for pictures. "It can't be the same guy. It's impossible. It must be a trick." Martha stared in disbelief.

"Oh, it's not a trick. I wish it were," the Doctor said softly.

"What just happened then?"

"He just changed what it means to be human."

Rose felt an unknowing sense of deja vu at his words. She closed her eyes and rested her head on the Doctor's shoulder as the steady rhythm in her head continued to pound away...

_Thump Thump Thump Thump._

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Lazarus Experiment Part 2**_

**Please Review! xoxo**


	16. The Lazarus Experiment Part 2

**A/N: So sorry about the wait! I was originally planning on making this "episode" have 3 parts. But, as I went to post it I became rather unhappy with the cut off point. So with that in mind, I went back and edited parts 2 and 3 and combined them. So this one is a long one! Hope you all enjoy it! Many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such encouraging reviews. Love you all :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Lazarus Experiment. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor was worried. Not about what happened with Lazarus. Actually, he was very worried about what happened with Lazarus. But at the moment he was more worried about Rose. He knew she had a headache but he could tell it was more. Her palms were clammy and every time she blinked it was like she had to work extra hard on focusing. He needed to work this mystery out so he could get his companion back into the safety of the TARDIS.

It was then he noticed Lazarus shoveling various nibbles in his mouth. He walked up to the man and heard him tell the older woman with him that he was "famished."

"Energy deficit. Always happens with this kind of process," the Doctor explained.

"You should have some tea," Rose injected. "Might make you feel better."

Lazarus looked at him in surprise. "You speak as if you see this every day, Mister?"

"Doctor. And this is Rose since you didn't ask. And well, no, not every day, but I have some experience of this kind of transformation."

"That's not possible."

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," he told him impressively. "That's inspired."

"You understand the theory, then," Lazarus gave in.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables."

The now younger man shrugged. "No experiment is entirely without risk."

"That thing nearly exploded. You might as well have stepped into a blender," the Doctor warned.

"You're not qualified to comment," the older woman with Lazarus said with an air of indigenous.

"Oi!" Rose snapped at her. "If he hadn't have stopped it then your creepy friend here would have been in bits and pieces all over this place."

Lazarus eyed her warily before turning his attention to the Doctor. "Then I thank you, Doctor. But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

Martha crossed her arms and finally spoke up, "You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests."

He laughed at her mockingly. "Look at me. You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially." The woman raised her chin.

"Commercially? You are joking. That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos," Lazarus told them, "change. A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving. This is about you and your customers living a little longer," the Doctor said to him, barely controlling his anger.

"Not a little longer, Doctor. A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

Rose shook her head. "That's not the way life works!"

"Richard, we have things to discuss, upstairs," the woman said as she turned and walked away.

Lazarus made to follow her but stopped and looked back. "Goodbye, Doctor. In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." He held his hand out to Rose, who crossed her arms and snorted. He then turned his attention to Martha who slowly raised her's to him. Lazarus kissed the back of her hand before leaving them.

"Oh, he's out of his depth. No idea of the damage he might have done," the Doctor said quietly.

"What are we going to do now, Doctor?" Rose asked as she felt a shiver run up her spine.

"Now? Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."

Martha grinned at the pair and held up her hand. "Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

The Doctor paused as a spread across his face. "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star."

* * *

Rose was sitting on a counter in one of the laboratories the Doctor found to run his tests. She was freezing. Absolutely freezing. She wrapped her arms around herself and clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

"Amazing," the Doctor muttered as he slipped off his jacket and handed it to Rose. She slipped it on as she hopped off the counter to see what he was admiring.

"What?" Martha asked.

The Doctor nodded to the screen in front of him. "Lazarus's DNA."

"I can't see anything different."

"Look at it."

The watched was the strand of DNA suddenly changed forms. "Oh, my God. Did that just change? But it can't have."

"But it did."

Martha continued to stare at the screen. "It's impossible."

"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight." He beamed at Rose. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

"That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilise the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands." He stopped when Rose cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows. "Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."

"But, Doctor, look." Rose pointed to the screen.

Martha realized what Rose had noticed. "They're still mutating."

The Doctor leaned closer to inspect the screen. "Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilise. Something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?" Martha asked the question they were all thinking.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but I think we need to find out."

"That woman said they were going upstairs."

He grabbed Rose's hand. "Let's go."

* * *

They got off the lift and entered a large ornate office. "Impressive," Rose muttered.

"This is his office, all right," Martha agreed.

The Doctor looked around. "So where is he?"

"Don't know. Let's try back at the reception..." she trailed off as she noticed a skeletal leg, wearing high heels, sticking out from behind the desk. "Is that Lady Thaw?"

Rose felt shame as she thought of how she snapped at the older woman. And that she didn't even know her name until Martha mentioned it.

"Used to be." The Doctor examined the corpse. "Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out, like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

Rose's stomach rolled at the thought. "That's disgusting, Doctor."

Martha looked up and asked, "Lazarus?"

"Could be," he answered.

Rose clutched the Doctor's jacket tighter. "Then that means we're too late. He already changed."

"Not necessarily. You both saw the DNA. It was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."

"So he might do this again?" Martha questioned nervously.

"All those people downstairs!" Rose exclaimed before they all rushed back to the lift.

* * *

"I can't see him!" Martha said as they entered the reception room.

"He can't be far," the Doctor told her. "Keep looking."

It was then that Martha's brother stopped her. "Hey, you all right, Marth? I think Mum wants to talk to you."

She ignored his question and the statement about her mother. "Have you see Lazarus anywhere?"

"Yeah, well, he was getting cosy with Tish a couple of minutes ago," Leo admitted.

"With Tish?" she practically shouted.

"Ah, Doctor," Martha's mother walked forward.

The Time Lord ignored her and turned to the other man. "Where did they go?"

"Upstairs, I think. Why?"

"Doctor-" Mrs Jones started to say but he wasn't listening. He ran past her so quickly it caused her drink to spill all over her. "I'm speaking to you!" She yelled at his retreating form.

"Not now, Mum," Martha yelled back as she and Rose followed him.

* * *

"Where are they?" Martha said frantically as they ran into Lazarus's empty office.

"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature. I might be able to pick it up." He pulled out the sonic screwdriver and began scanning the room. "Got him!"

"Where?" She asked as he pointed the screwdriver at the ceiling. "But this is the top floor..."

"What about the roof?" Rose said, already making her way back towards the stairs.

The Doctor, Rose, and Martha made their way to the roof and quietly came up behind Lazarus and Tish, although they kept a safe distance away.

"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect," they heard the him say to Martha's sister. "There's always something to surprise you. Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act-"

"Falls the Shadow," the Doctor finished for him.

Lazarus turned to face them. "So the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

Rose smirked. "You should be. He's pretty impressive."

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish looked at her sister in anger.

"Tish, get away from him," she warned.

"What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus, what with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all," the Doctor said causally.

"You're right, Doctor," Lazarus acquiesced. "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'll get done in two or three or four."

Rose felt a pain her heart. If only that were true. Then she could give the Doctor a longer forever. But no. This was so very wrong.

The Doctor agreed with her feelings as he said, "Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person."

"But if it's the right person, what a gift that would be," he said making direct eye contact with Rose, causing her to inhale sharply.

"Or what a curse," the Doctor spat out. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

"Who are you to judge me?"

"Over here, Tish." Martha gestured for her sister to come closer.

"You have to spoil everything, don't you? Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault," Tish said as Lazarus began to spasm behind her back.

"Tish, he's a monster!" she told her as the man in question collapsed.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones."

"Uh, Tish," Rose swallowed nervously. "You might want to turn around."

They all watched as Lazarus transformed into a giant, skeletal, scorpion with a human face. "Oh my god," Rose whispered.

"Run!" the Doctor yelled.

* * *

The three women ran back into the building and down the stairs while the Doctor sonic locked the door behind him. As they frantically pushed the call button for the lift, Martha asked her sister breathlessly, "Are you okay?"

"I was going to snog him," she replied in shock.

Just then the lights began flickering as a computerized voiced announced, **"Security one. Security one. Security one." **

"What's happening?" Martha asked as the lights shut off and all the doors began to shut.

Tish thought for a moment before answering, "An intrusion. It triggers a security lock down. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts, seals the exits."

The Doctor looked back towards the entrance to the roof. "He must be breaking through that door. The stairs, come on!"

As the four raced down the stairwell the heard a large crash in the distance. Martha stopped and screamed, "He's inside!"

"We haven't got much time!" the Doctor yelled back as he continued running.

Rose ran back up and grabbed Martha's arm. "Come on!"

* * *

"Tish, is there another way out of here?" the Doctor asked once they were back in the reception room.

"There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now."

"Martha, setting fifty four. Hurry," he said as he tossed the sonic screwdriver to her. He then grabbed Rose's hand as he led them to the circular dais in the center of the room. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous," a woman in the crowd mocked. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

"Oi!" Rose snapped. "He's telling the truth you need to-" The sound of glass shattering interrupted.

After that it was pure chaos. People screaming and racing for the doors Martha was desperately trying to open. Rose felt the Doctor tugging her away but her head was hurting so bad. _Thump Thump Thump Thump._

_"Do you hear it?... Almost ready."_

Rose shook her head in confusion and came back to awareness as she heard the Doctor shout, "No! Get away from her!" It was then she noticed that Lazarus had descended upon the poor woman from before. Rose and the Doctor could only watch in horror as the creature Lazarus had mutated into, sucked the life out of her. Lazarus turned his attention to Mrs. Jones and Leo, who had been knocked over when the chaos broke out.

Rose could see the wheels in the Doctor's head turning as she quickly whispered, "I'm staying with you."

He gave a brief nod on acknowledgement before shouting, "Lazarus! Leave them alone." He watched as the creature turned to him and Martha ran to her family. "What's the point? You can't control it. The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool. A vain old man who thought he could defy nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!" With that the Doctor took Rose's hand and when racing down the nearest corridor.

* * *

The Doctor and Rose made their way into the basement and wove their way through various pipes. The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand when she noticed Lazarus's shadow enter the room.

"It's no good, Doctor. You can't stop me," the creature rasped out.

"Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?" the Doctor replied.

"The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress."

"And what kind of progress is that?" Rose asked aloud. "Killing innocent people? You're nutters!"

"It is a necessary sacrifice," he replied.

"That's not your decision to make," the Doctor told him. Suddenly the lights came back on.

Rose and the Doctor slowly looked up and say Lazarus hanging above them. "Peek a boo."

"Oh, hello," the Doctor greeted before, once again, running away.

* * *

"What're we gonna do?!" Rose asked as they made their way into one of the laboratories.

"Uhhh.." was the only response the Doctor gave before jumping atop one of the tables and taking apart a light fixture.

"Alright then, whatever you're doing you might want to hurry up!" she told him as the sound of Lazarus was coming closer.

The Doctor hopped off the table and turned on the nearest Bunsen burner and snuffed out the flame. He then pulled a tube off one of the gas fittings and ducked behind a bench. He leaned over to Rose, who was still wearing his jacket, and pulled a blue kerchief out of his pocket and handed it to his companion. "Breath through this," he mouthed as Lazarus made his way into the laboratory.

"More hide and seek, Doctor? How disappointing. Why don't you come out and face me?" Lazarus taunted.

The Doctor snuck his hand up a different table and pulled off another gas fitting before jumping up. "Have you looked in the mirror lately? Why would I want to face that, hmm?" He quickly hauled Rose with him as he ran for the door. Before exiting, he slammed the light switch down and pushed Rose out the door and onto the floor as the whole lab exploded.

* * *

Rose was fitting off a coughing fit as she and the Doctor raced back through the corridors. They both let out a shout as they ran smack into Martha. "What are you doing here?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm returning this. I thought you might need it," she replied.

"How did you...?"

"I heard the explosion. I guessed it was you."

Rose snorted as he grinned proudly and said, "I blasted Lazarus."

"Did you kill him?" Martha asked excitedly.

"I'd go with, more sort of pissed him off!" Rose shouted as Lazarus burst through the corridor.

* * *

"What now? We've just gone round in a circle," Martha said as they reentered the reception room.

"We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in." He held open the door for the sonic microfield manipulator chamber.

It was a tight fit, that was for sure. Martha seemed to have a bit more wiggle room as the Doctor pushed closer towards Rose.

Martha whispered, "Are we hiding?"

"No, he knows we're here," the Doctor told them. "But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"But we're trapped!" Martha stated obviously.

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem."

"You mean you don't have a plan?"

"Yes, the plan was to get inside here."

"Then what?"

"Well, then I'd come up with another plan," he told her truthfully.

Martha rolled her eyes. "In your own time, then."

"Welcome to life with the Doctor, Martha Jones," Rose sighed dramatically.

The Doctor tried reaching in his back pocket, but ended up almost elbowing Martha. "Hey!" she snapped at him.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry... I just... Rose! I need you to reach in my inside my back pocket and grab the sonic for me," he told her with exertion lacing his tone. Rose adjusted the her position pressed against him, and was thankfully able to reach the screwdriver without any problems. Although her cheeks had turned a bright shade of pink.

"What're you going to do with that?" Martha asked when he had the screwdriver in hand.

"Improvise."

"I still don't understand where that thing came from." Martha said as the Doctor slid to the floor, opened a panel, and began working on some wires. "Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," he responded.

"Human? How can it be human?"

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

"So it's a throwback," she pointed out.

"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"Sort of reminds me of Pandora's Box," Rose said softly.

"Exactly," he agreed as he tried pushing her dress out of his eyes. "Uh, Rose. Do you mind holding your dress up a bit?" At that moment he was very thankful that he had his head bowed so she would miss the blush that graced his face.

A few seconds later the machine began to light up. "Doctor, what's happening?" Martha asked nervously.

The Doctor started working faster. "Sounds like he's switched the machine on."

"And that's not good, is it?"

"Well, I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out."

Rose cried out in pain as the machine began moving. She clutched her head as tears streamed down her face and a small trickle of blood came out of her nose. Martha looked at her in alarm before saying to the Doctor, "I don't want to hurry you, but-"

"I know, I know. Nearly done," he said heatedly, still not noticing Rose's distress.

"Well, what're you doing?" Martha shouted over the noise of the machine.

"I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

"Will that kill it?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication. So he's spreading himself thin."

Rose cried out, "Please, Doctor..."

"Just one more!" he replied.

As the machine came to a slow stop, the pain in Rose's head began to fade back into a dull ache. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wiped the blood off her face before the Doctor saw and panicked.

"I thought we were going to go through the blender then," Martha told them as they open the door and exited the machine.

"Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity," the Doctor admitted. "I must be a bit out of practice."

They all looked down in sad relief as they saw that Lazarus had returned back to his human form and was lying face down, unclothed.

"Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful," Martha said sadly.

The Doctor turned to her. "Eliot saw that, too. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper."

"Hmmm, I don't know about that." Rose injected. "We were there, remember? There was a pretty big bang."

* * *

The three solemnly made their way outside, following the ambulance men taking away the body. Martha's sister raced to give her a hug and their mother was not far behind.

"Ah, Mrs Jones," the Doctor greeted kindly. "We still haven't finished our chat."

Francine Jones responded by slapping the Doctor, hard, across the face. "Keep away from my daughter."

Rose stepped in front of him and practically growled, "Yeah, well, you can keep away from my Doctor!"

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha asked in horror.

The Doctor rubbed his jaw his one hand and pulled Rose back with the other. "All of the mothers, every time," he told her.

"He is dangerous. They both are! I've been told things," Mrs. Jones informed.

Rose rolled her eyes and grabbed the Doctor's hand. She led them a few steps away, not wanting to hear the woman's obvious disapproval.

It was a few moments later when they heard another large crash. Without a word, the Doctor and Rose took off towards the sound. When they got closer to the ambulance they saw the door open and desiccated corpses inside. "Lazarus, back from the dead," the Doctor said as he pulled out the sonic screwdriver. "Should have known, really."

"Where is he then?" Rose asked as Martha and Tish both ran up as well.

"That way. The church." He pointed with the sonic.

"Cathedral. It's Southwark Cathedral," Tish spoke up. "He told me."

* * *

"Do you think he's in here?" Martha asked quietly as they made their way inside the cathedral.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" was the Doctor's response.

The made their way closer up the nave to the altar. It was there that they found Lazarus, wrapped in a red blanket and shivering. "I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside," he told them as the Doctor moved to stand in front of him.

"The Blitz," Rose said from the sidelines.

"You've read about it."

She gave a small laugh, "I was there, mate."

"You're too young."

"So are you," the Doctor said, drawing the attention away from her.

Lazarus started to laugh but his body protested and began to make cracking noises. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it," Lazarus told them while the Doctor circled him.

"That's what you were trying to do today?" the Time Lord asked.

"That's what I did today," he corrected.

"What about the other people who died?"

"They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human." The Doctor stopped his circling. "You can't change that."

As they Doctor and Lazarus continued their back and forth Rose started to focus on a gentle whisper in her ear.

_"Child of time."_

_"There's the big Bad Wolf."_

_"Ready to play?"_

She blinked and realized that the Doctor had moved closer. "He's going to change again any minute," Martha whispered.

"I know," he whispered back. "If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."

"Up there?" she confirmed as he nodded in agreement.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look," Lazarus told him.

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust," the Doctor said sadly as he avoided eye contact with Rose and knelt down before the other man. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?"

"I will feed soon," Lazarus said after he convulsed strongly.

"I'm not going to let that happen," the Doctor told him.

"You've not been able to stop me so far."

"Hey, Richard," Rose called sweetly. "He's so old. Why would you want him when you could have something a bit... fresher!" She winked and took off running, followed by Martha and Tish.

"Rose Tyler!" the Doctor yelled in dismay.

"What are you two doing?" Rose shouted at the girls behind her.

"Keeping you out of trouble," Tish responded firmly.

* * *

Oh his stupid, thick, wonderful, amazing companion. What was she doing? The Doctor grimaced as he heard the sounds of Lazarus mutating. "Rose?! Martha!?" He shouted as loud as possible.

Rose popped her head out of the passageway in the clerestory. "Can I help you with something? Bit busy at the moment," she responded with a cheeky grin.

"Take him to the top," he ordered. "The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?!"

"Loud and clear!" she yelled back as she took off running.

* * *

"There's nowhere to go. We're trapped!" Tish cried out when they made their way to the top of the bell tower.

"This is where he said to bring him," Martha said trying to calm her sister.

"All right, so then we're not trapped. We're bait!"

"We have to trust the Doctor!" Rose told both them.

"Ladies..." Lazarus greeted as he made his way closer.

"Stay behind me. Both of you. If something happens then run!" Rose commanded.

It was then that they all heard organ music echo through the rafters and an agitated Lazarus swung his tail towards them. In true Doctor fashion, Rose shoved Martha and Tish out of the way as the mutant's tail collided with her head and sent her flying over the edge of the circular room. She was able to grab the ledge at the last second as she held on for dear life.

Suddenly the sound of the organ grew louder. So loud that both Tish and Martha had to grab their heads as the sound waves bounced across the tight space.

Rose screamed in agony as she was unable to cover her own ears. The pain was almost unbearable.

_"Does it still hurt? Even now, after all this time?"_

It was blessed relief when Lazarus toppled over the edge and fell to his unfortunate demise and the organ stopped. The silence was so soothing that Rose closed her eyes and felt her self letting go. She screamed in shock at her own actions but her arms were quickly grabbed by both the Jones sisters. They hauled her back onto the ledge and Martha clutched Rose tightly.

"Sshhh. It's alright now," she murmured to the blonde.

"Rose?! Martha?!" the Doctor shouted from below.

Rose took a deep breath to answer but found she had no strength to shout back a reply. "We're okay! We're all okay!" Martha replied for her.

"Thanks," Rose said to the two girls quietly.

Tish gave a shaky laugh. "It's your Doctor you should be thanking."

"Told ya. We just had to trust him."

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but it's more fun that way." Rose gave a weak, yet, cheeky grin.

"Who are you two?" Tish asked in wonder.

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The stuff of legends."

* * *

After making their way back down the stairs, Rose ran straight into the Doctor's arms.

"Don't ever do something like that again," the Doctor whispered into her hair as he clutched her tightly.

Rose inhaled slowly as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, humming in contentment. "No promises," she finally said.

He reluctantly let her go and gave Martha a hug as well. "I didn't know you could play?" Martha told him as they broke apart.

"Oh, well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up," he said offhandedly.

"Hmm," she agreed. "Especially about playing loud."

He leaned forward, "Sorry?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Come on. Time to go home."

* * *

"Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor said once they made it back to Martha's flat and he had unlocked the TARDIS.

"I can see a pattern developing," Martha smiled. "You should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourselves in."

The Doctor grinned brightly. "It's good fun, though, isn't it?"

"Yeah," she agreed.

"The best!" Rose said as she slipped her hand in his.

"So, what d' you say, one more trip?" he asked Martha.

She took a look at the TARDIS before returning her gaze to him. "No. Sorry."

Rose frowned at her denial as the Doctor asked, "What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this. 'One more trip.' It's not fair."

"What're you talking about?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be just a passenger anymore. Someone you two take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well, I'd rather stay here."

The Doctor squeezed Rose's hand, who promptly squeezed back. "Okay, then," he said aloud. "If that's what you want."

Martha's face fell. "Right. But we've already said good-bye once today so it's really best if you just go." She turned and walked away but looked back when she realized the Doctor and Rose were still standing there. "What is it?"

"What?" he shrugged. "I said okay."

Martha gave them both a questioning look. "Sorry?"

"Martha," Rose laughed, "we want you to come with us!"

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she said as she ran forward and threw her arms around them.

"Well, you were never really just a passenger, were you?" the Doctor told her as they entered the TARDIS.

Rose looked around Martha's flat one last time as the pounding in her head suddenly vanished.

_"Take a break, dearest. For it may be your last."_

* * *

_**Coming Soon: 42 **_

**Please Review! xoxo**


	17. 42 Part 1

**A/N: Hello, lovelies! Thank you, thank you, thank you to my followers, those who have favorited, and to those of you who have left such encouarging reviews. I truly appreciate you all. We're finally at 42! I've always loved this episode so I had a great time writing and editing this :) And it's also why I'm posting at such a crazy hour. I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode 42. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

It had been over an hour since the TARDIS crew had left Martha's flat in modern day London and the Doctor couldn't find Rose anywhere. He searched her room first and found the dress she had worn to the party tossed across her bed. He grinned at the sight. Rassilon, she looked gorgeous in that dress. Not that he didn't always find her to be stunning, of course. But still. Better not entertain anymore thoughts like that. He peeked inside her en suite next and found the mirror still steamy. _Hmm. Must have just missed her, _he thought to himself. He then went to the kitchen. That too, was empty. Although he did find evidence that she had made herself a cuppa. He searched all of Rose's usual haunts and couldn't find her anywhere.

"Come on, old girl. Where is she?" he asked the TARDIS, laying his hand against the wall. "I know you're worried about her. I can feel it. Well, I'm worried too. She wasn't feeling too great at that party we were at and I want to make sure she's alright."

He heard a gentle hum as he turned around and found that a new door had appeared. "Ta," he whispered.

He opened the door and found himself in a very familiar place. It wasn't an exact copy of Flat 48 of Bucknall House, but it was pretty close. And it was there he found Rose curled up in her comfiest jimjams with one of her mother's fluffy dressing gowns in her arms, looking through an old album.

She looked up in surprise at his appearance and exclaimed, "Doctor!"

"Uh, sorry!" He rubbed the back of his neck, afraid he was intruding. "I just couldn't find you and I was worried cause you weren't feeling well this evening and I wanted to make sure you were alright. So, I asked the TARDIS to help me find you and she led me here."

"Breathe, Doctor." Rose giggled. "Did you do this?" she asked, nodding to the room filled with the possessions she had kept from her's and her mum's flat.

"Oh, I wish I could take the credit, but, that goes to my magnificent ship." He smiled and plopped himself down next to her. "She's rather fond of you."

"I'm rather fond of her too," Rose said as she patted the nearest wall.

"I'm sorry, Rose," the Doctor told her quietly.

She looked at him in confusion. "For what?"

"I know you miss Jackie."

"I do," she nodded. "But can I tell you a secret? I would have missed you more. And I think that's why I'm struggling so much. Because as much as I miss my mum and Mickey, I couldn't imagine not being with you in the TARDIS."

The Doctor didn't know what to say. He could argue with her. Tell her about the fantastic life she could have without him. But he just couldn't. He was far too selfish. Because the truth was, he couldn't imagine not having her with him either. In fact, he didn't want to imagine it. He was terrified of the day they would be parted. Be it she finally finds someone to settle down with, she leaves because she's tired, or because she truly gives him her forever. It will never be long enough for him.

"Just in the TARDIS?" he teases as a way to avoid what he really wants to say. What he most likely needs to say.

Rose smiles because she sees right through him. Her silly Time Lord. "Nah. Anywhere!" she tells him, playing along. "As long as I'm with you. Cause stuck with you? That's not so bad."

"Yeah?" he asks obligingly.

"Yes."

"Right then," he cleared he throat, "you gonna show me some pictures of a young Rose Tyler?"

She laid her head on his shoulder and flipped the book open. Showing him various pictures from her youth. He laughed with her as she recalled old memories of her and Mickey, held her as she shed some tears at the thought of both her mum and Pete, but mainly he marveled at what an incredible woman she had become. Such a hard life she was raised in. But she was a Tyler. And Tyler's persevered.

"Doctor?" Rose asked, drawing him out of his musings.

"Hmm?"

"You know how I had that headache earlier?"

"Yes. Is it still bothering you? Rose, why didn't you tell me! Let's get you fixed up!" He jumped up and tried pulling her with him but she tugged him back down.

"Doctor, I'm fine now. Really," she assured. "It's just earlier, it felt like... It felt like something happened. But I can't really remember what. It's happened a few times actually."

The Doctor frowned and whipped out his sonic screwdriver and gave her a quick scan. "Well, nothing seems to be wrong. Give me an example. Describe exactly what happens."

"S' like my head will start hurtin' real bad and then everything will fade away and then... nothing. It's like taking a really long blink. Sounds stupid, I know."

"No it doesn't. This has you really concerned, I can tell. I honestly don't know what happened, Rose. It might just be your brain's way of processing the pain or it could be something else entirely. There is a way I could really see what happened though," he hinted.

"You mean look in my head?" she asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Well I wouldn't really be looking in your head per say, I would actually be looking at a memory."

Rose clutched the photo album in her lap. "I don't think so," she denied but then saw the hurt expression that crossed his face. "It's not cause I don't trust you, Doctor! I do. I know you would respect my privacy and all that. I just don't trust myself is all."

He looked at her with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"Well, there's a lot on my mind right now. Maybe... maybe if it happens again, we can try it. Deal?"

The Doctor wasn't satisfied with her answer but nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright then, moving on. Now that we have ourselves a full time companion, I think you should fix up Martha's phone. Let's not forget that she still has family back on Earth and should be able to call them when she pleases."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at his blonde companion's domestics. Ah, but he wouldn't have it any other way. "Yes, dear."

* * *

"Right, there we go. Universal roaming. Never have to worry about a signal again," the Doctor said the next morning after he update Martha's mobile.

"No way. This is too mad." She grinned. "You're telling me I can phone anyone, anywhere in space and time on my mobile?"

"As long as you know the area code. Frequent flier's privilege. Go on, try it."

Rose moved to stand next to her. "Seriously, Martha it's real-" Rose stopped when the TARDIS began shuddering.

"Distress signal," the Doctor informed them after glancing at the monitor. "Locking on. Might be a bit of-" he paused as his ship had a violent landing, sending them all to the floor. He groaned. "Turbulence. Sorry. Come on. Let's take a look."

The Doctor opened the door and was met with a wall of steam as he heard a computerized voice announce, **"Distress signal transmitted." **

"Whoa, now that is hot," the Doctor said as he already felt perspiration building on his brow.

**"Automated distress signal transmitted."**

"Ugh. I can barely breathe, " Rose moaned as she quickly stripped off her jumper, leaving her in a small white camisole. "My eyes are up here, Doctor," Rose said in a low voice when she noticed the Doctor staring at her chest.

He cleared his throat and turned. "Yes, quite."

"Rose is right," Martha said as she divested herself of her own jacket, ignoring the blush that crossed his face. "It's like a sauna in here."

The Doctor looked around and muttered, "Venting systems. Working at full pelt, trying to cool down. Wherever it is we are. Well, if you can't stand the heat..." The Doctor opened the bulkhead door in front of them and led them through. As soon as they entered the next area though they saw the two men, one younger and one slightly older, plus a woman, were running towards them.

"Oi, you three!" the younger man yelled.

"Get out of there!" the woman shouted next.

The young man then commanded, "Seal that door, now!"

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" the woman asked the three time travelers.

"Are you police?" the young man injected.

The Doctor looked at him with concern. "Why would we be police?"

"Our...transport... received your distress signal," Rose tried to explain.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor questioned the sweaty crew standing before him.

The woman looked at them with dread in her eyes. "It went dead four minutes ago."

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to Engineering. Captain," the older man finally spoke with a sneer.

**"Secure closure active," **the computerized voice announced.

The woman, who seemed to be the captain, shoulders drooped. "What?!" she exclaimed.

The older man shook his head. "The ship's gone mad."

Suddenly a young woman came running towards them, with several bulkheads closing in her wake. "Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked in to area twenty seven," she said as the final bulkhead sealed behind her. "Who are you?"

Martha gave a nervous smile. "He's the Doctor, she's Rose, and I'm Martha. Hello."

**"Impact projection forty two minutes twenty seven seconds."**

"We'll get out of this. I promise," the captain promised her crew.

It was then Martha and Rose both were drawn to the nearest porthole. "Doctor," Martha said.

He ignored her and turned to the woman in charge. "Forty two minutes until what?"

"Doctor!" Martha said louder. "Look." She stepped aside and showed him what had Rose and her so transfixed.

He stared at the porthole in shock as the woman behind him said, "Forty two minutes until we crash into the sun."

"Burn with me," Rose whispered to herself quietly. So quiet that no one else heard. Not even herself.

The Doctor raced forward and grabbed the captain's shoulders. "How many crew members on board?"

"Seven, including us," she informed him.

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," the older man explained. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship space worthy."

"Call the others, I'll get you out," the Doctor said as he raced towards the door they had just exited.

"What's he doing?" the young man asked as the Captain cried, "No, don't!"

The Doctor got the door open but was thrown backwards by a strong blast of heat. The young woman in the group threw on a welder's mask and got the door closed again. "But my ship's in there!" the Doctor said with dismay.

The young man looked at him, exasperated. "In the vent chamber?"

"It's our lifeboat."

"It's lava," the older man said.

"The temperature's going mad in there," the young woman informed them. "Up three thousand degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's going to get," the young man told her.

"We're stuck here," Martha said to the Doctor with blame as Rose just groaned and began to take deep breaths.

"So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun. Simple. Engineering down here, is it?" The Doctor took off at a run.

"Yes," the woman answered.

**"Impact in forty twenty six."**

* * *

"Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?" the Doctor asked as they entered the engineering room and found it in a jumble.

"Oh, my god," the Captain exclaimed.

"What the hell happened?" The older man looked around in shock.

The young man stared at everything in pieces. "Oh, it's wrecked."

The Doctor began taking note of everything and said, "Pretty efficiently too. Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" the woman asked. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," one of her crew responded.

"You mean someone did this on purpose?" Martha asked.

"Oh please tell me it's not gonna be clockwork men again," Rose said as she began fanning herself with her hand. Blimey, she was hot. The Doctor just shrugged in response as he put his specs on and fiddled with one of the monitors.

The woman in charge went to the intercom. "Korwin, Ashton? Where are you? Korwin, can you answer? Where the hell is he? He should be up here."

"Oh, we're in the Torajii system." The Doctor smiled. "Lovely. You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away." Rose couldn't help but feel a small bit of elation when he didn't say anything about her being far from home. Maybe he was finally excepting that her home was with him. She would never leave him.

"Yeah. Feels it," Martha agreed with mock brightness.

He moved to the captain. "And you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

"We're due to upgrade next docking," she replied, obviously uncomfortable, before going back to her in charge mode. "Scannell, engine report."

"No response," he told her.

"What?"

"They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Well don't you have like a back up engine or something?" Rose asked, looking to the Doctor for help.

"Right! Auxiliary engines," he corrected, pulling off his glasses. "Every craft's got auxiliaries."

"We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship," the Captain explained.

"Yeah," Scannell agreed, "with twenty nine password sealed doors between us and them. You'll never get there in time."

"Lovely," Rose said as a bead of perspiration rolled down her cheek.

"Can't you override the doors?" Martha asked.

"No," he shook his head. "Sealed closure means what it says. They're all dead-lock sealed."

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use," the Doctor said to himself.

"Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance!"

"Oh, listen to you." The Doctor looked at him with dismay. "Defeated before you've even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit? Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," the young man spoke up. "Reckon I know most of them. Sorry. Riley Vashti."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Then what're you waiting for, Riley Vashti? Get on it."

"Well, it's a two person job. One, a technish for the questions, and the other to carry this," Riley said as he threw a large pack over his shoulder. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, Captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?" she countered.

"Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice."

"I'll help you," Martha told him, stepping up. "Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel. That's why it needs two," he explained.

"Oi," the Doctor said as she began to walk away. "Be careful."

"You too," she replied before giving Rose a pointed look. "Both of you."

Just then a voice came over the intercom. _**"McDonnell. It's Ashton."**_

Captain McDonnell ran over and answered, "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"

**_"Get up to the med-centre now!" _**

McDonnell took off running and was quickly followed by the Doctor. Rose went to follow as well but stopped when she heard the computer announce, **"Impact in thirty four thirty one." **

"Burn with me," Rose unknowingly whispered before taking off after the Doctor.

* * *

The Doctor and McDonnell quickly made their way to the med-centre, with Rose right behind them. They ran in and found and man, who Rose and the Doctor assumed was Ashton, and another woman holding a struggling man down. It looked like they were trying to force him into some sort of MRI scanner.

"Korwin!" McDonnell shouted when she realized the man was her husband. "What's happened? Is he okay?"

"Help me! It's burning me!" Korwin pleaded.

"How long's he been like this?" the Doctor asked as he ran up and tried to help the crew hold the man down.

"Ashton just brought him in," the woman answered.

When Korwin began thrashing even harder Rose leaned her weight over his legs. "Blimey, he's putting up one hell of a fight." The Doctor agreed and pulled out his sonic screwdriver so he could scan him.

"What are you doing?" McDonnell questioned.

"Don't get too close," he warned.

"Don't be so stupid. That's my husband."

"And he's just sabotaged our ship," Ashton informed her.

"What?"

"He went mad. He put the ship onto secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way," she denied. "He wouldn't do that."

"I saw it happen, Captain," he snapped back.

"Korwin?" the Doctor called out when he saw that the man had his eyelids closed tightly. "Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can't!" Korwin cried back pitifully.

"Yeah, course you can," he said soothingly. "Go on."

"Don't make me look at you, please!" the man pleaded as he kicked his legs and ended up kneeing Rose in the stomach.

The Doctor had enough when he saw his companion give a small grunt of pain. "All right, all right, all right. Just relax. Sedative?" he asked as he grabbed a small hypo-gun from the medical tray and inserted into Korwin's neck.

"What's wrong with him?" McDonnell questioned when her husband fell unconscious.

The Doctor crossed his arms and began analyzing the situation. "Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings. Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," the woman told him as she went to work.

"Oh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far."

"Well, that's something."

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" the captain asked in obvious distress.

"Some sort of infection. We'll know more after the test results. Now, allons-y, back downstairs," he ordered the crew. "Hey. See about those engines. Go. Hey," he called once more to the captain. "Go."

Captain McDonnell was clearly reluctant to leave her husband but Rose slid next to her and said quietly, "Go on. There's nothing you can do for him right now." McDonnell nodded her head and followed Ashton out the door.

"Call us if there's news. Any questions?" the Doctor asked the other woman as he made his way out of the room.

"Yeah," she replied. "Who are you?"

He peaked his head through the doorway and said, "I'm the Doctor."

Rose rolled her eyes at him and held out her hand to the woman. "I'm Rose Tyler."

"Abi Lerner," she responded as the computer announced, **"Heat shield failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in thirty two fifty."**

* * *

The Doctor was trying his best to help sort out the engines while Rose sifted through the parts trying to find pieces that weren't broken. After a few minutes the Doctor ran to the intercom and asked, "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio scan?"

**_"He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."_**

Satisfied with that answer for the moment, he switched channels. "Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

**_"Area twenty nine at the door to twenty eight," _**Martha's voice rang out.

"Yeah, you've got to move faster."

**_"We're doing our best!" _**

The Doctor moved away to continue helping with the engines but left the intercom on so they could continue to communicate.

It was then they heard Riley say, **_"Find the next number in the sequence three one three, three three one, three six seven. What?"_**

_**"You said the crew knew all the answers,"**_ Martha chastised.

**_"The crew's changed since we set the questions."_**

**_"You're joking." _**

The Doctor ran over to the intercom when he figured out the question. "Three seven nine."

**_"What?" _**Martha asked.

"It's a sequence of happy primes. Three seven nine."

**_"Happy what?" _**

"Just enter it."

**_"Are you sure? We only get one chance,"_** Riley told him.

The Doctor took a deep breath and went into lecture mode. "Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number that is both happy and prime. Now type it in!" He turned and shook his head at Rose. "I don't know, talk about dumbing down! Don't they teach recreational mathematics any more?"

Rose giggled. "Not like that."

**_"We're through!"_** Martha exclaimed.

"Keep moving, fast as you can. And, Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

**_"Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free." _**

"Will do, thanks."

**"Impact in thirty fifty," **the computer warned.

* * *

"Oh my god. I don't think I've ever been so bloody hot!" Rose complained as she tried pealing her camisole away from her skin. "How're you not dying with that jacket on?" she asked the Doctor.

"Time Lord," was his only response as he tried to figure out how to get them out of this situation. "We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time. Come on, think. Resources. What have we got?"

**_"Doctor?" _**Martha's voice came over the intercom.

"What is it now?" he snapped at her.

**_"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles. That's pre-download." _**

"Elvis," he responded before changing his mind. "No! The Beatles! No! Wait! Uh, ah. Oh, what was that remix? Uh, I don't know. I am a bit busy!"

**_"Fine. I'll ask someone else."_**

"Your phone, Martha! Use your phone," Rose called out to her.

The Doctor sent her a grateful grin before getting back to the task at hand. "Now, where was I? Here comes the sun. No, resources. So, the power's still working, the generator's going. If we can harness that. Ah!"

McDonnell caught on and said, "Use the generator to jump-start the ship."

"That's brilliant!" Rose smiled in relief. All she wanted to do was get off this ship. She wasn't kidding when she said she had never been so hot before. She felt like her skin was literally on fire.

"Exactly. At the very least, it'll buy us some more time," said the Doctor.

McDonnell smiled and echoed Rose's words, "That _is _brilliant."

"I know," the Doctor preened. "See? Tiny glimmer of hope."

"If it works," Scannell muttered with doubt.

"Oh, believe me. You're going to make it work," McDonnell told him.

The Doctor gave a cheeky smile as the other man walked away. "That told him!"

* * *

More time passed as they all continued working as hard and fast as possible. There wasn't much Rose could do but tried to do every task she was given as efficiently as possible. It was growing harder to focus though as the ship drew closer to the sun and the heat continued to rise.

**"Impact in twenty eight fifty."** Rose groaned when she heard the computerized voice. All she wanted to do was get back to the nice cool TARDIS.

**_"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me," _**Abi said over the intercom.

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and asked, "What do you mean?"

**_"Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make-up. It's impossible." _**There was a slight pause before they heard her voice again. This time it was laced with fear. **_"This is Med-centre. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!" _**

The Doctor's eyes met Rose's as they took off running at the same time with McDonnell at their heels. "Stay here!" he shouted to the others. "Keep working!"

* * *

"Burn with me," Rose whispered as they ran.

The Doctor gave her a concerned look. "What was that?"

She looked at him confused, "What?"

"What did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything, Doctor," she denied truthfully.

Suddenly a deep voice echoed through the ship, **_"Burn with me."_**

The Doctor shuddered. He could of swore that Rose just said the exact same thing. He stopped running when he heard footsteps behind him and Scannell cry out, "Captain?"

"I told you to stay in Engineering," the Doctor scolded.

"I only take orders form one person round here," Scannell told him as he walked past.

"Oh, is he always this cheery?"

Rose frowned at the man's retreating form as she and the Doctor took off running again. "Bucket of sunshine apparently." She paused and grabbed the Doctor's arms when they suddenly heard Abi's anguished cries throughout the ship. "Doctor, what's going on?"

"I don't know," he admitted as pulled her along.

**_"Doctor, what were those screams?" _**Martha asked.

"Concentrate on those doors," he told her. "You've got to keep moving forward."

**"Impact in twenty seven oh six."**

* * *

"Korwin's gone," McDonnell announced when they finally made it to the med-centre.

Rose turned about the room and gasped when she saw the burnt image of a figure on the metal x-ray shield. "Doctor..."

"Oh my god," Scannell proclaimed quietly when he caught sight. "Tell me that's not Lerner," he said as the Doctor examined the burnt shape.

"Endothermic vaporisation. I've never seen one this ferocious." He stopped and looked at Rose. At the same time, they both said in unison, "Burn with me."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: 42 Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	18. 42 Part 2

**A/N: Real life is a pain. So sorry about the wait! As always, many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those of you who have left such lovely reviews! You guys rock. Hope you like 42 Part 2 :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode 42. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Scannell gave an audible swallow when he heard the Doctor and Rose both say, "burn with me." He took a slight step back and said, "That's what we heard Korwin say."

"What?" McDonnell proclaimed, visibly shaken. "Do you think?... No way... Scannell, tell him. Korwin is not a killer. He can't vaporise people. He's human!"

The Doctor held up one of the test results Abi had run on the man before her untimely death. "His bioscan results. Internal temperature, one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen. Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed."

"The test results are wrong!" she told him.

"But what is it, though?" the Doctor continued with his hypothesis. "A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

Rose could tell how upset the captain was getting and tried to place comforting hand on her shoulder, but, McDonnell shook her off. "Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" she demanded.

"Where's the ship been? Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"Of course not," Rose said soothingly. "But we've got to figure out what happened to your husband."

The Doctor nodded and looked her straight in the eyes. "We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're just... a cargo ship," she answered before turning her back to them.

Scannell looked at the Doctor and Rose with an annoyed expression. "If you both could just give her a minute."

"I'm fine," McDonnell insisted. "I need to warn the crew." She moved to the intercom. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think... he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

**_"Understood, Captain. Erina? Get back here with that equipment," _**Ashton replied back.

* * *

**"Impact in twenty four fifty one." **

"Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?" Captain McDonnell asked as the Doctor studied more of Korwin's test results.

He paused before answering with, "I don't know."

McDonnell watched as Rose lowered her gaze to floor and shuffled her feet. Clearly, this young woman knew he wasn't telling the truth. "Don't lie to me, Doctor. Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope."

"Tell her," Rose whispered quietly.

"The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back. I'm sorry," the Doctor said stoically.

"Thank you."

He nodded his head and moved to closer to the captain. "Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

Rose could see that she was telling the truth but she had to agree with the Doctor when he then said, "Then why is this thing so interested in you?"

"I wish I knew," McDonnell admitted.

**_"Doctor, we're through to area seventeen,"_** Martha said over the intercom.

"Keep going," he told her. "You've got to get to area one and reboot those engines."

A few minutes later they were back in Engineering when they heard Martha's frantic voice once again, **_"Doctor! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've got to help us!"_**

"Do you think it's Korwin?" Rose asked, already standing and preparing to rescue her friend.

McDonnell shook her head. "Why is this happening?"

"Stay here. I mean it this time!" the Doctor told her as he ripped off his glasses and ran out the door. "Jump start those engines!" he called back.

* * *

"That's enough!" the Doctor shouted when he and Rose found Ashton, wearing a welder's mask, trying to get to Martha and Riley. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me."

Ashton's only answer was slamming his fist into the keypad. Rose let out a scream of shock as sparks rained out of the wall.

"Come on, Let's see you. I want to know what you really are," the Doctor taunted as Ashton moved to stand nose to nose with him.

Ashton raised his hand to his visor when Rose whispered, "Burn with me." He moved his attention to her before suddenly doubling over in obvious pain. He straightened up a few seconds later and strode out the door, right past the Doctor and Rose.

"McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your direction," he warned over the intercom. "He's been infected, just like Korwin!"

**_"Korwin's dead, Doctor,"_** Scannell replied. The Doctor hung his head in despair before trying to fix the keypad Ashton destroyed.

**"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod," **the computer announced.

"Oh my god," Rose moved to hit the door separating them from their companion, "Martha!" she shouted.

Martha kept banging on the porthole window screaming for them to help. All the Doctor could do was repeat, "I'll save you!" over and over again.

Rose covered her face as sobs wracked through her body. Why couldn't it have been her? She had no one left on Earth. But Martha, oh Martha had her entire family and an amazing career waiting for her. But now...

Sensing her despair the Doctor forced her hands down so he could look at her. "I will, Rose. I'll save her. I swear." He pulled her in for a hug but stepped back when her felt how hot her skin had become, "Blimey, Rose! Your temperature is much higher than it should be."

"Don't worry about me right now, Doctor," she insisted. "We have to get Martha back!"

"I'll always worry about you, Rose," the Doctor muttered as he moved to the intercom. "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in area seventeen now!"

**_"What for?"_**

"Just get down here!" he shouted back angrily causing Rose to flinch.

* * *

Rose stood off to the side and watched as the Doctor put on the spacesuit that had been brought to him. This scene was all to familiar and it was something she had never wanted to relive again. Thoughts of the Ood, an impossible black hole, a possessed Toby, and the prophecy of her death rolled through her mind. On top of the she could barely see straight. The heat seemed to be affecting her more than anyone else. _Stupid ape, _she thought, allowing herself a moment of fondness as she recalled her first Doctor's affectionate nickname for humans. Well at least it was affectionate when he said it to her. Suddenly she heard a scream and the face of the sun flashed beneath her lids.

* * *

"I can't let you do this," Scannell insisted as he too watched the Doctor suit up.

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell. You're not going to stop me," he told him.

"You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that."

The Doctor smirked. "Oh, just you watch."

"You open that airlock, it's suicide! This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

"If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should remagnetise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, keep an eye on Rose and you have got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen!" the man pleaded. "They're too far away. It's too late."

"I'm not going to lose her," was the Doctor's reply before putting on his helmet.

Rose walked closer and looked him in the eyes. "Burn with me," she whispered.

The Doctor frowned and prayed she hadn't become infected. "Why did you say that?"

"Listen to me, Doctor," she said, ignoring his question. "I know I can't stop you. I'm not even gonna try. But promise me this, don't look at the sun! Whatever you do. Promise?"

The Doctor took a deep breath, about to protest, but then he saw the look in her eyes. The terror. Something had her truly and properly scared, and it wasn't just about him or Martha. "I promise, Rose."

"Good." She then stood on her tiptoes and kissed the top of his helmet. "Stay safe, yeah?"

"You too," he told her as he moved to stand in the airlock chamber.

**"Decompression initiated. Impact in twelve fifty five."**

* * *

**"Impact in eleven fifteen. Heat shield failing. At ten percent." **Rose heard the computer announce as the Doctor opened the outer airlock door. She squinted and had to turn away as the unfiltered sunlight came through.

She leaned against the wall and tried not to countdown the minutes her Doctor was out there in danger. Needing to hear his voice she ran over to the intercom. "Doctor? Doctor, how are things going out there?"

**_"I can't... I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last," _**he told her with pure desperation.

Scannell's voice came over the line, **_"Come on. Don't give up now!"_**

Rose gave a slight smile. "He's right. Where's that mad Time Lord spirit? Huh? I believe in you."

* * *

With his beloved companion's strength and belief in him, the Doctor was finally able to reach the lever that would draw back the escape pod. He quickly made his way back to the open airlock and fell inside, but when he stood upright he caught a glimpse of the sun and was unable to turn away. _Oh, I'm so sorry, Rose, _the Doctor thought as he broke his promise to her.

* * *

**"Airlock recompression completed," **the computer announced as the Doctor stumbled out. Rose immediately fell to her knees next to him but her roughly pushed her away.

"Doctor! Doctor! Are you okay?" Martha asked as she and Riley climbed out of the docked pod.

Rose gasped when the Doctor opened his eyes and a bright light poured out. "Stay away from me!" He said before shutting his eyes once more.

McDonnell ran forward and took in the scene before her. "What's happened?"

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" the Doctor accused.

"Riley, get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!"

"You mined that sun. Stripped its surface for cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!"

"Oh my god," Rose muttered as she held back the bile rising in her throat.

McDonnell shook her head. "I don't understand."

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Martha asked frantically. She had never seen the Doctor like this. He was writhing against the wall as sweat poured down his face.

"That sun is alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!" He shouted the last part.

"What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?" McDonnell asked, unwilling to except his words.

"Why do you think?" Rose spat out at the woman at the same time the Doctor said, "Because it's living in me."

"Oh my god."

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long," she defended herself. "We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal."

"You've got to freeze me, quickly," the Doctor gasped out as he tried to stand.

Rose and Martha rushed to either side of him as the latter asked, "What?"

"Stasis chamber," he explained while desperately trying to hold on to his sanity. "You've got to take it below minus two hundred. Freeze it out of me! It'll use me to kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre, quickly! Quickly!"

"Oi!" Rose shouted at the captain. "Make yourself useful and help us! get him there."

**"Impact in seven thirty."**

* * *

As the entered they med-centre Martha eyed the stasis chamber and saw and instruction manual. "I can do it!" she shouted, letting go of the Doctor and racing forward.

"Martha, where are you?" he asked when he felt Rose sag under his weight.

"It's all right, I'm here. Just help me get him up," she told Rose and McDonnell. "Stasis chamber, minus two hundred, yeah?"

"No, you don't know how this equipment works. You'll kill him. Nobody can survive those temperatures," the captain told her.

"He's not human," Rose explained as she helped straighten him out on the table. "He'll be fine. He has to be." She leaned forward and brushed his hair off his forehead.

"Let me help you, then."

"You've done enough damage," Martha told her coldly.

"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more," he gave a short scream as he clutched Rose's hand before calling out, "Martha!"

"Yeah?"

"It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all," he said in a deep, unnatural voice. He then cried out, "Rose? Oh my, Rose, I'm scared! I'm so scared!" He squeezed Rose's hands and wrists so tightly she was sure to have bruises.

"Sshh. It's alright. You'll be alright," she tried to soothe him but her voice cracked on the last word.

"Just stay calm," Martha told him. "You saved me, now I return the favour. Just believe in _me._"

"It's burning through me. Then what'll happen?" he asked as his body began to buck off the table.

"That's enough! I've got you. Rose and I are both here."

"There's this process, this thing that happens if I'm about to die..."

"No!" Rose yelled. "Not yet. Please. Don't leave me again, Doctor!"

"Shh. Quiet now," Martha said to both her companions. "Because that is not going to happen. Are you ready?"

"No," he admitted.

Rose had to force herself to step away from the Time Lord as Martha used the joystick to roll him into the stasis chamber. She then typed **200** into the keypad and pressed the green button. If Martha thought the screams she heard from the Doctor in that moment were bad, it was nothing compared to Rose's that shortly followed.

* * *

As the Doctor's cries echoed through the med-centre Rose's head began to burn. Then it hit her like a tidal wave. The sun was screaming in agony and she could _feel _it's pain. She clutched her head and fell to the ground, not even aware of anything else going on.

**"Heat shields failing. At five percent."**

* * *

Without warning everything shut off when the chamber had reached **- 70**. "No! Martha, you can't stop it. Not yet." the Doctor shouted from inside the chamber.

Martha turned to the McDonnell. "What happened?"

"Power's been cut in Engineering," she explained.

"But who's down there?"

"Leave it to me," McDonnell answered before stepping past a whimpering Rose. She stopped and gazed down and the poor thing, curled up and rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she excited the room.

**"Impact in four forty seven," **the computer warned.

"Come on. You're defrosting," Martha mumbled as she tried to get the machine running again.

"Martha, listen! I've only got a moment. You've got to go!" the Doctor commanded.

"No way."

"Get to the front. Vent the engines. Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them."

Martha shook her head. If Rose was able to speak there would be only one thing she would say to him. She took a deep breath and said, "I am not leaving you."

"You've got to give back what they took. Take Rose and go!" he told her as he continued to thrash back and forth.

"Doctor..."

"Please! You and Rose need to go!"

"I'll be back for you," she promised. She moved to grab Rose under her arms and began to drag the blonde out of the med-centre. There was no way she would get to the front if she kept Rose with her, so with another promise of returning, Martha hid the other woman in a small alcove and hoped the if the Doctor did become fully possessed, he wouldn't find her.

**"Impact in four oh eight."**

* * *

Martha ran. As the computer continued to count down, she continued to run. She couldn't let them down. She couldn't fail. They had to live. She hadn't known the Doctor and Rose very long but she did know that the universe needed them. _Both _of them. And so she ran. She only stopped when she heard the Doctor voice over the intercom.

**_"Martha! Rose!"_**

"Doctor! What are you doing?"

**_"I can't fight it. Give it back or burn with me. Burn with me!"_**

She didn't wait a second before she took off once more. The computer's announcement of, **"Impact in one twenty one," **propelled her feet to go even faster.

* * *

**"Collision alert. Fifty eight seconds to fatal impact." **

"Vent the engines. Dump the fuel," Martha commanded when she reached Scannell and Riley at the front of the ship.

"What?" the older man asked.

"Sun particles in the fuel. Get rid of them. Do it. Now!" She watched as the two men followed her orders. "Come on, Doctor. Hold on."

* * *

Rose was burning. If she could open her eyes she would be shocked to find that she was not, in fact, on fire. The sun was in pain. So much pain. Rose gasped as she realized she had moved to a standing position. She opened her eyes but could barely see. "Burn with me," she proclaimed before collapsing on the ground. The last thing she was aware of was a song chasing away the screams. The melody was so beautiful and Rose was felt a calming presence sweep through her mind as she slowly closed her eyes.

* * *

**"Impact averted. Impact averted. Impact averted." **

Elation raced through Martha as the ship righted itself and began to move away from the sun. They did it!

"We're clear. We've got just enough reserves," Riley said before pulling Scannell in for an embrace.

"Doctor!" Martha cried before taking off.

* * *

Relief washed over him as Martha jumped into the Doctor's arms. She did it! She and Rose... He pulled back and glared. "Where's Rose?"

Martha's face fell. "I... I had to leave her. Something was wrong, Doctor!" she snapped when he opened his mouth to criticize her. "I wouldn't have made it on time if I had her with me."

"What was wrong with her? Where is she?" He asked with desperation.

She led him to the alcove she had left Rose in. "She should be right here!" she exclaimed when they found it empty.

They then heard a small moan and a female voice call out, "Doctor..."

"Rose!" he yelled as he ran and found her down the corridor. There were several bruises covering her shoulders and the Doctor could only assume she had rolled there when the ship had been falling.

"You're still you." She smiled at him weakly as he bent beside her.

"Rose, what happened?"

"Dunno. S'like, I remember there being a lot of pain... the sun was hurting so bad. But then it all just washed away."

The Doctor frowned at her response. It sounded as if she had been infected as well... but she never stared at the sun. And she had started saying, "burn with me" shortly after they had arrived there. He took her hands and was about to help her stand when she cried out from his touch. He pulled back to find the source of her pain and gaped when he saw the dark rings circling her wrists, accompanied by several blisters.

"What happened?" Rose asked, noticing her injuries.

"Uh. Not sure. I'll fix you up when we get in the TARDIS," he told her as guilt set in. He could vaguely recall clutching her to himself tightly before being placed in the stasis chamber. This was all his fault. "Come on," he told his companions. "Time to go."

* * *

"This is never your ship," Scannell proclaimed when the found the TARDIS back where they left her and completely unharmed.

"Compact, eh?" the Doctor preened. "And another good word, robust. Barely a scorch mark on her."

"The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't harm her," Rose said with a wink.

"We can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha told the two crew members left.

"We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities'll pick us up soon enough," Riley told her.

Scannell sighed. "Though how we explain what happened..."

"Just tell them," the Doctor said simply. "That sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing," the Doctor continued before opening the door and heading inside his ship.

"Take care." Rose gave a nod and followed the Doctor inside. "We would be dead if it wasn't for her," she said nodding back to Martha.

The Doctor took a deep breath as he said, "I hurt you."

"No you didn't."

"Look at wrists! Your arms!"

"Doctor, you weren't exactly in your right mind, so yeah you left some bruises but you didn't give me the blisters." She moved closer so she could face him properly. "I probably fell against a pipe or something. Not everything is your fault you know."

"Usually is," he muttered.

"None of that!" she chided. "We're fine and we're alive thanks to Martha. So use the wonderful machinery in this magnificent ship of your's to make me better, then take me someplace nice and cold!" She gave him a smile that got even brighter when he returned the sentiment. She then watched as he brought up the scanner to see outside. She peered around his shoulder just in time to see Martha pull Riley in for a snog. She laughed as the Doctor blushed and began fiddling with the controls.

"So," their companion said as she entered the TARDIS. "Didn't really need you in the end, did we? Sorry." she added when the Doctor frowned. "How are you doing?"

He ignored her question and said, "Now, what do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. Fancy it? Of course I need to fix up Rose first but that'll take no time at all."

"Whatever you like," Martha told him feeling hurt at by his deflection.

Rose gave cleared her throat and gave him a pointed look. Taking the hint he moved closer to Martha. "By the way, you'll be needing this." He held up a TARDIS key hanging on a chain.

"Really?"

"Frequent flier's privilege." He dropped the key in her hand and added, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," she said with a smile that quickly disappeared. "Oh no. Mum!" Martha pulled out her phone and dialed her mother's number. "It's me again...I'm sorry about earlier. Over emotional. Mad day...  
Yeah. Tonight. Do my best. Er, just remind me. What day is it again?... Right. Of course. I'll be round for tea. Roughly...Anyway, I've got to go!"

Rose smiled at her from her place in the jump seat as Martha hung up. "So which of you doctors plan on fixing me up? I was told there would be ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha and I'm ready to go!"

* * *

**_Coming Soon: Human Nature._**

**Please review! xoxo**


	19. Human Nature Part 1

**A/N: I am so sorry about the wait. I have excuses, but I won't bother you with them. Big thanks though to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have taken the time to review! Seeing how I've already done a Human Nature story, I was not looking forward to these next few chapters. This next one isn't my favorite but I hope you still like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episodes Human Nature and Blink. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

It had been a little over a month since the three time travellers had gone ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. A month they've spent hopping from planet to planet and time to time trying to track down a former Kur-han Time Agent that had gone rogue and kidnapped four of the Kur-han leader's red eggs and two blue ones. that were due to hatch any day. And apparently when blue Kur-han eggs hatched, they would immediately begin migrating across the planet, feeding on the various plant life their planet has to offer. If that process happens anywhere else though it could prove fatal to the hatchlings.

Of course, as soon as they first arrived on Kur-ha, the Doctor, Rose, and Martha were immediately apprehended. Apparently the TARDIS gave off several of the same energy readings that the Time Agent had when he left the planet. Thankfully, with a flash of the psychic paper, the Doctor showed the Kur-han leaders, who looked surprisingly like bi-ped lizards, that he and his companions were harmless and had, in fact, been sent to track down the kidnapped eggs.

At last, the TARDIS had picked up readings that the four red eggs were hatching. And in present day London of all places. Go figure. So now the Doctor, Rose, and Martha were crammed inside the back of a taxi following the signal.

"Remind me again why we need a bow and arrows?" Martha asked before adding. "Seems a bit violent."

"The tips of the arrows are laced with a sedative," the Doctor explained. "Harmless to humans but it'll knock a Kur-han right out. Don't worry, they have thick lizard skin. Won't hurt a bit! Right then, you can stop here, my good man!" he said to the driver when the sonic began buzzing. He hopped out of the car without a second glance.

Rolling her eyes, Rose reached into her pocket and politely paid the driver before following her companions out. The three began making their way down the street when they heard a woman's voice shout, "Doctor! Doctor! Doctor! "

He stopped and smiled at her. "Hello. Sorry, bit of a rush. There's a sort of thing happening. Fairly important we stop it."

The young woman looked at him in complete amazement and Rose couldn't help but feel a bit of jealousy rise in her throat as she heard her say, "My god, it's you. It really is you. Oh, you don't remember me, do you?"

"Doctor, we haven't have time for this. The migration's started," Martha chimed in.

"Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life. Things don't always happen to me in quite the right order. Gets a bit confusing at times, especially at weddings. I'm rubbish at weddings," he pauses to frown, "especially my own."

"Oh, my god, of course!" She gave a small laugh. "You're a time traveller. It hasn't happened to you yet. None of it. It's still in your future."

"What hasn't happened?" Rose asked, feeling a bit left out.

"Doctor, Rose, please. Twenty minutes to red hatching," their companion said with exasperation.

The woman shook her head in disbelief. "It was me. Oh, for god's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from me."

The Doctor leaned forward. "Got what?"

"Okay, listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969. Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it," she told him, handing a purple file over.

"Doctor!" Martha shouted from down the street.

"Yeah, listen, listen, got to dash. Things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

"Okay. No worries. On you go. See you around some day," she called out to his retreating form.

He stopped and turned back to her. "What was your name?"

"Sally Sparrow."

"Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow," he said with a grin.

A young man walked forward, staring in shock. Sally grabbed his hand and said, "Goodbye, Doctor."

The Doctor smirked and grabbed Rose's hand and began pulling her down the street. It was then she heard her own name called out, "Wait! Rose, wait!"

Rose stopped and saw the young man following after them. "Go on, Doctor," she said. "I'll see what he wants."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, don't want Martha to have to deal with the rogue Time Agent alone now do we?"

"Alright, but do try to hurry!" he called back to her as he took off after his other companion.

Rose threw him a wink but then frowned as the young man, who had been with Sally, came closer. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Wow. You're really real." He gave a small nervous chuckle. "Sorry it's just... wow. Uh... anyways, I just wanted to tell you to take care."

She took a step back in surprise. "Sorry, what was your name?"

"Larry. Larry Nightingale."

"So that's all you wanted, Larry?" She eyed him suspiciously. "All you wanted to tell me is to take care?"

He shuffled his feet as he ducked his head down. "Pretty much."

"Alright then, Larry Nightingale. I'll try to take care. Same to you, Yeah?" When he nodded his head in response she said, "Well, I've got to go help my friends now, but it was... nice... meeting you. Of sorts."

"Goodbye, Rose."

Rose gave him a reassuring smile before heading off to find the Doctor and Martha. _Just a normal day, _Rose thought to herself right before she began to feel another headache creeping up on her. This was really getting old.

* * *

Hours later, after retrieving the eggs and returning them to their mother, and, of course, subduing the Time Agent and turning him over to the proper Kur-han authorities the Doctor, Rose, and Martha finally got to go ice skating. The Doctor was, unsurprisingly, a natural. As was Martha, who had lessons as a child. Rose, however, was a bit wobbly and, therefore, clung to the Doctor tightly. Not that either minded. Martha smirked as she watched the pair clinging to each other's hands like it was their life source. And the way they gazed at the other, how could they not be _together_?

It was a happy time, as the three stumbled back into the TARDIS. Their laughter echoed the time ship's halls as the three moved to the movie room and munched on some popcorn and hot chocolate. It was moments like those that Martha and Rose clung to in the coming weeks.

* * *

_"Get down!" the Doctor shouted as he, Rose, and Martha ran into the TARDIS and were followed closely by a blast from an energy weapon._

_He pulled Rose up and grabbed her shoulders roughly, "Did they see you?"_

_"I...um...I-I'm not sure." she stuttered in shock from his abrasiveness. _

_He turned to Martha and asked just as forcefully, "What about you? Did they see you?"_

_"I don't know!" the newest companion replied._

_He ran his hands over his face. "But did they see you? Either of you?"_

_"How're we supposed to know?!" Rose snapped at him. "We were a bit busy running for our lives."_

_"Rose, this is important. Did they see your's or Martha's face?"_

_"No, they couldn't have," Martha answered for her._

_"Off we go!" the Doctor said a bit manically as he set the TARDIS in motion. He moved to look at the monitor and gave a shout of frustration. "They're following us."_

_"They can't be," Rose denied at the same time Martha was saying, "How can they do that? You've got a time machine."_

_"Stolen technology. They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator." It was times like this that he was glad that the Time Agency had shut down. It was bad enough that there were still vortex manipulators floating around out there. "They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe. They're never going to stop, unless..." He paused as he looked up. "I'll have to do it. You both trust me, don't you?"_

_"Of course I do," Martha told him._

_Rose laid her hand on his arm. "You know the answer."_

_He granted her a brief smile before turning serious again. "Because it all depends on you two."_

_Martha moved forward nervously. "What does? What are we supposed to do?"_

_"Doctor, you're scaring me," Rose admitted._

_He held out a pocket watch to them and said, "Take this watch, because my life depends on it. This watch," he took a deep breath. "The watch is-"_

* * *

John Smith opened his eyes and found himself back in his room at the school he had been teaching at for a just a short time. Ever since he arrived at the Farringham School For Boys he had been having the strangest dreams. He slowly stood and stretched out his legs as he heard a light knowing on his door. "Come in," he called out.

He was not surprised to see his young maid, Martha, enter as she carried his breakfast tray. She turned around in embarrassment when she realized he was still in his night clothes. "Pardon me, Mr. Smith. You're not dressed yet. I can come back later."

He began pulling on his dressing gown. "No, it's all right, it's all right. Put it down. I was uh... Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams," he blurted out.

Martha sat his tray down before moving to open the curtains. "What about, sir?" she asked politely.

"I dream I'm this adventurer," he admits to her. "This daredevil, a madman. The Doctor, I'm called. And last night I dreamt that you were there, as my companion. As was, Miss Tyler."

"A teacher, housemaid, and the librarian, sir? That's impossible."

"I'm a man from another world, though."

She stopped and took a deep breath. "Well, it can't be true because there's no such thing."

"There was this... watch... quite similar to the one Miss Tyler carries..." He shook his head and grinned at his maid. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I do remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the Year of Our Lord two thousand and seven."

"I can prove that wrong for you, sir. Here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November tenth, nineteen thirteen, and you're completely human, sir. As human as they come."

"Mmm, that's me," he mused. "Completely human."

* * *

"He had a dream about us!" Martha whispered quietly to Rose, who was sitting at her desk in the school library.

"You don't have to whisper. The boys are all in class," Rose told her in a louder, yet still subdued voice. "Now how do you know about his dreams?"

"He told me this morning when I took him his breakfast. He said he dreamt that he was a madman adventurer from the future, called the Doctor, and he said we were there as his companions!" she practically shrieked. "He even said he wasn't human!"

"Oh my god," Rose muttered as she began rubbing the back of her neck. A trait she picked up from her Doctor.

"He even started to remember the watch! Said it was just like the one you carry but as soon as he started to think about it he began to forget. Do you think it's time? I mean, should we open the watch now?"

Rose shook her head vehemently. "No. Not yet. He said to wait three months unless something drastic happens. And I don't think a simple dream qualifies. We just need to keep an extra eye on him is all."

She snorted. "Well that shouldn't be to hard for you! He spends every free moment he has in this library fawning over you."

"He does not," Rose denied but the blush crossing her cheeks was all Martha needed.

"Don't try that on me, Rose Tyler! That man has it bad for you."

"Even if he does though, it's not really _him_. It's John Smith. Not the Doctor."

"You don't think they're the same?"

"I don't know," she admitted quietly.

"They both have the same feelings for you," Martha chirped happily.

Rose just sighed. She had this argument with her practically everyday. "You know that's not true."

"Riigghht. Listen, I'd love to stay and chat but now I've got to go scrub some floors with Jenny."

Rose felt horribly guilty. 1913 had not been kind to Martha Jones. "I'm sorry, Martha."

"Not your fault." She shrugged. "I'll come visit you later. Try to get some rest though. You're looking a bit peaky."

"I'll try to fit a nap in," Rose told her. She may have said the word try but actually there was no doubt in her mind that she would be napping later. Ever since they arrived in 1913 she had started taking naps several times a day. It was odd. No matter how much sleep she got, she was always exhausted.

* * *

Rose had to hide a smirk as John Smith strolled into her library and began picking up various books. Honestly, she doubted he needed so many. She may have denied to Martha that the human version of the Doctor had feelings for her, but in all actuality she was very aware that he was smitten with her. And hard as she tried not to be, she was smitten right back.

"Ah, there we are then," he told her as he handed her the large pile of books he had acquired.

"Sure you got enough?" Rose teased with a tongue in teeth grin as she began marking which books he was checking out.

"Oh yes," John blushed and grinned back at her. "Although..."

"I think you've reached your limit, Mr. Smith. If I let you have anymore what will there be left for the boys?"

"Ah, quite right. Brilliant, you are!"

"That's me. Well, there you go," she handed the pile back to him. "I suppose it'll be awhile before you're back for more."

"Oh no!" he said a little too quickly. "I mean, this is nothing. Won't be surprised if I'm already finished with these by tonight."

"Best let you get to you it then."

He seemed reluctant to leave but nodded his head. "Good day, Miss Tyler."

"And to you... Mr. Smith."

Rose let out a sigh when he finally left the library. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy having him around. She did! It was just so hard to keep up this act. Pretend like they weren't the very best of friends from a time when it was perfectly acceptable for them to hold hands for no reason. God, her hand felt empty. She never realized loneliness she felt hit her hard.

Rose shook her head. Not long left now. Soon, they could open the watch and the Doctor would be back. With those thoughts, Rose's hand moved unconsciously to the pocket of her dress and gave the small fob watch a squeeze.

"_Soon, Bad Wolf. Soon."_

The sound of the Doctor's whisper made her gasp. Now this was just barmy. She must be more tired than she thought. As soon as the day's classes started back up, she would try to take a small nap. Rose turned her attention to her desk and was surprised to find that John had left one of his books behind. Giving a small giggle of amusement, she picked the item up and went to see if he was still nearby.

As she entered the hall she immediately heard the sound of his voice. A smile bloomed on her face at the prospect of seeing him again. She quickly schooled her features as she followed his voice through the corridors. She found him halfway down the stairs and conversing with Joan Redfern. A small feeling of jealousy began to pool in her heart. It wasn't that she didn't like the Matron. She did. It was just that Matron Redfern had her sights set on the Doctor. _John Smith_, she corrected herself.

"Miss Tyler!" John exclaimed when he noticed Rose standing at the top of the stairs.

"Oh, hello again, Mr. Smith." She took a few steps down towards him. "You forgot one of your books." She placed the forgotten item on top of the stack he was carrying and tried very hard to ignore the fact that Joan was carrying some as well. "Hello, Matron."

"Miss Tyler." Joan nodded politely although Rose could swear she saw the woman deflate a little in her presence.

"Ah, Nurse Redfern hear was just mentioning something about a dance tomorrow evening in the village. So do you plan on going, Miss Tyler?"

Rose shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it. Are you?"

"I hadn't thought about it either," he admitted.

Joan took a step forward and injected, "It's been ages since I've been to a dance, only no one's asked me."

"You have to be asked to go? Blimey if you want to dance, go dance!" she laughed, momentarily forgetting which time she was in. It dawned on her though when she saw Joan's shocked face and the flustered look John was giving her.

"Well, I should imagine that you'd be...I mean, I never thought... I mean, there's no reason why you shouldn't... It's just that," he told her, stumbling over his words in an effort to find an appropriate response.

"Um, Mr. Smith," Rose said slowly when he started to step backwards. "The stairs."

"What about the stairs?"

"They're right behind you," Joan informed him just in time for him to fall down in a flurry of books and paper.

* * *

"Stop it. I get boys causing less fuss than this," Joan condemned as she tended to the back of John's head.

Rose was quite angry with the nurse for her interruption. John was just about to start telling her about the dreams he had been having lately and she was dying to know if his memories of being the Doctor were leaking through somehow.

"Because it hurts," he whined causing Rose, who was sitting next to him, to give a small giggle.

Just then Martha ran into the room asking, "Is he all right?"

Joan looked appalled. "Excuse me, Martha. It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking."

"Sorry. Right. Yeah," she said as she ran back and knocked on the door. "But is he all right? They said you fell down the stairs, sir."

"No, it was just a tumble, that's all," he told her with embarrassment.

"Oh it was more than a tumble," Rose piped in. "Went flying backwards! Books and papers goin' everywhere. It was quite the show," Rose told her, unable to hold in her chuckles.

Martha smiled at her before returning her attention to the nurse. "Have you checked for concussion?"

"I have. And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'll just tidy your things."

"I was just telling Miss Tyler and the Matron about my dreams," John said to Martha. "They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding."

"What are you hiding from?" Rose asked cautiously.

"Well, I don't really know," he admitted. "They're almost every night. This is going to sound silly..."

"I don't mind."

He shifted in his seat so he was completely facing her. Not even aware that he was ignoring Joan. "I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."

Rose took a deep breath. "Oh my." She stared at the Doctor... _John_... and felt her own heart begin to race.

"Well, then. I can be the judge of that. Let's find out," Joan said, interrupting their silence. She pulled out a stethoscope and listened to his chest. "I can confirm the diagnosis. Just one heart, singular."

"Too bad," Rose joked, trying to lighten the mood. "Two hearts could come in handy."

He gave a light laugh. "I have, um, I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction. Not that it would be of any interest."

"That sounds very interesting," Rose said enthusiastically.

John beamed at her as he stood to fetch his journal. "Well, I've never actually shown it to anyone before," he told her, handing the book over. Just as she was about to read the cover page, a knock sounded on the door. "Come in," he called.

Another maid, Martha's friend Jenny, entered the room. "Pardon me, sir. I was just looking for Miss Tyler," she said before turning to Rose. "Miss Tyler, the headmaster is wantin' to see you, mu'm."

"Thank you, Jenny. I'll be right along. Well," she said to John, "I do hope I'll have another opportunity to read this soon."

A disappointed smile graced his face. "Absolutely. Anytime."

* * *

"Good evening ladies," Rose greeted Martha and Jenny, later that night, as she went for a walk towards the local pub.

"Good evening, Miss Tyler," Jenny replied kindly.

"Oh, please, call me Rose. At least outside the school!"

"Alright then. Good evening, Rose."

"Martha, how are you?" Rose asked her friend.

"Alright," Martha told her, sounding tired. She then tugged her key out of her dress and gave Rose a nod. A signal that they needed to talk alone. When Rose touched her own key in response, Martha moved on with the conversation. "Just telling Jenny here how I'm ready to go!"

"Oh me too! Time to hit the open road... or sky..." she added with a wink.

"You two don't half say mad things." Jenny laughed.

Martha looked up longingly. "That's where we're going. Into the sky, all the way out." Just then a small green light flashed in the sky above. "Did you see that?"

Rose stood abruptly. "Yes!"

Jenny looked at them both, confused. "See what?"

Martha moved to stand next to Rose. "Did you see it, though? Right up there, just for a second."

"There's nothing there," Jenny told them. Suddenly Joan Redfern came running through the woods.

"Matron, are you all right?" Martha asked the woman.

Joan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Did you see that? There was something in the woods. This light."

"Anything wrong, ladies?" The four women turned around and saw John Smith behind them. "Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"

"There, there. Look in the sky," Joan said, interrupting him, as another flash of green light streaked across the sky.

"Oh, that's beautiful," Jenny muttered.

"All gone," John pronounced was the light disappeared. "Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all."

Rose had to hold back an eye roll. She had seen meteorites many times before with the Doctor. That green light was _not _just a meteorite.

Joan gave a small frown and looked off in the distance. "It came down in the woods."

"No, no, no. No, they always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school. Ladies?"

"No we're fine," Martha answered for her and Jenny while still looking at the sky.

He nodded his head and looked at Rose. "Miss Tyler?"

"Oh. I think," she cleared her throat. Under other circumstances, Rose would love the alone time with him. However, she needed to investigate what had just happened in the sky. "I think I'll stay here just a bit longer. But thank you," she told him with a smile when she saw a sad look on his face.

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," he told her kindly before leading an ecstatic looking Joan Redfern away.

"Jenny, where was that?" Martha asked when John and Joan were out of sight. "On the horizon, where the light was headed."

"That's by Cooper's Field," the young woman responded.

Rose turned and grinned at Martha. They shared a knowing look before taking off at a run towards Cooper's Field. "Allons-y!" Rose shouted into the night air.

They began laughing when they heard Jenny call out, "You can't just run off. It's dark. You'll break a leg!"

* * *

"Oh that felt fantastic!" Rose exclaimed when they made it to the field. God, she had missed running.

"Man, I feel like it's been ages since I've had to run anywhere," Martha said, agreeing.

Jenny came running up behind them and looked at the empty lot. "There you are. Nothing there. I told you so."

"And that's Cooper's Field?"

"As far as the eye can see, and no falling star. Now come on, I'm frozen to the bone, let's go. As your Mr. Smith says, nothing to see."

Martha nodded and began to follow Jenny away but Rose stayed back a minute. Something was not right. She could feel it. The hairs on the back her neck began to stand on end and a shiver ran up her spine. A shiver that was not caused the cold weather. She gave the field one last look before reluctantly walking away. She wasn't sure if the Family had found them or not, but something was telling her that everything was about to get very messy.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Human Nature Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	20. Human Nature Part 2

**A/N: Hello! First off, big thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such lovely reviews! Now I really hope you like this next chapter cause I did the majority of the work for it on my birthday, just for you lot ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Human Nature. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

The next morning Rose could be found huddled under the console of the TARDIS, waiting for Martha. They hadn't got to speak privately about last night events because of Jenny being around. Rose leaned her head against the center column, sending waves of love towards the sentient ship. The TARDIS had been placed on emergency power, so the Family couldn't detect Her, and Rose absolutely hated it. It felt wrong for the beloved ship to be so dark a gloomy. Plus in Her weakened state Rose could rarely feel Her reassuring presence in her mind.

The control room looked so empty without the Doctor bouncing around. With that though Rose felt a sudden sadness from the ship. "I miss him too, sweetheart," she said as she patted the grated floor. She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the fob watch that contained the Doctor's essence. Rubbing her hand over the circular words, that Rose recognized as the Doctor's native language, she wondered, not for the first time, what it said. Perhaps she would ask him.

* * *

_"Take this watch, because my life depends on it. This watch," he took a deep breath. "The watch is me."_

_"Right. Obviously. That makes sense," Rose told him with a hint of sarcasm._

_"Yeah, I'm completely lost," Martha chimed in._

_"Those creatures are hunters," the Doctor explained as he began setting various controls on the console. "They can sniff out anyone, and me being a Time Lord, well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."_

_Rose gave a small laugh. "You think you're so impressive." He shot her weak grin, but didn't respond._

_Martha rolled her eyes. "Huh. And the good news is?"_

_"They can smell me, they haven't seen me. And their life span'll be running out, so we hide. Wait for them to die," he told them sadly._

_"But they can track us down," she said nervously._

_"That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm going to become human."_

_"What?!" Rose shouted from across the room._

_He looked her in the eyes and sighed. "I'll explain. I promise. But first I need you both to go the wardrobe room and collect the bags the TARDIS has prepared for us."_

_"Doctor, please just-"_

_"Rose. Please go with Martha to the wardrobe room," he told her firmly._

_She gave a slight nod of her head while avoiding eye contact. "Don't do anything stupid. I'll be back in a few."_

Ten minutes later Rose and Martha were rushing back into the control room. When they entered they saw a metal contraption being lowered from the ceiling. "Never thought I'd use this. All the times I've wondered," the Doctor mused.

_"What does it do?" Martha asked._

_"Chameleon Arch," he proclaimed. "Rewrites my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human."_

_"Oh my god," Rose mumbled as she felt knots beginning to twist in her stomach. _

_"Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything. Invent a life story for me, find me a setting and integrate me. Can't do the same for you," he explained while fitting the fob watch into the Chameleon Arch. "You'll just have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in." His eyes lingered on Rose._

_"But, hold on," said Martha a few moments later. "If you're going to rewrite every single cell, isn't it going to hurt?" _

_He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah. It hurts."_

_"Don't do it then!" Rose shook her head in defiance. _

_The Doctor walked up to her and grabbed both of her hands. "I have to, Rose. You know I do. I have to give them this chance to live out their lives."_

_"But it's not fair," she told him, holding back her tears. "You're not going to know who I am. What if you hate me or something?"_

_He gave a gentle laugh and brushed away the few tears that had escaped her eyes. "Not possible," he whispered. He pulled her in for a tight embrace before placing a kiss on her forehead. "See you soon, yeah?"_

_"Not if I see you first," she responded._

_"Take care, Martha Jones," he said to his other companion while giving her a farewell hug. "You're going to be just fine. Now then," he added as he placed the Chameleon Arch on his head. "You two should leave the room. I have a feeling that this won't be pretty."_

_"I'm not leaving you," Rose stated firmly._

_Martha stepped beside her friend and repeated her sentiments, "Me neither."_

_The Doctor's shoulders drooped a bit but he knew there was no point in arguing. "Alright, but remember. No matter how bad it get's you can't do anything to stop the process. Don't even touch me until it's done. Understood?" When both women nodded in agreement he flicked a switch and said, "Allons-y."_

* * *

His screams haunted Rose every night since.

"Hello," a voice greeted and broke Rose out of her thoughts. "I'm talking to a machine."

"Oi! She's not just a machine," Rose said as she climbed out from under the console and moved to hug her friend.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Martha laughed. "Still adjusting to that."

They both moved to sit on the jump seat when Rose asked, "How are you?"

"Alright. But I'm not here to talk about me. It's about our John Smith." Martha took a deep breath. "I saw some of that journal he was going to show you and the Matron yesterday."

"Yeah? What was in it?"

"Stories of his supposed dreams. And pictures. Lots of pictures. A few I recognized, like the Daleks. But others... I assume they're all real though.

"Probably," Rose agreed.

Martha nodded. "There was also a picture of you. But not like you here and now. More like how you usually look."

"Really?"

"That's all you've got to say?" she asked blatantly.

"Yep!" Rose replied, popping her "p" just like the Doctor.

Martha rolled her eyes playfully before turning serious. "That's not the only thing I wanted to tell you though. The Matron stopped me outside his office and asked me who he really is."

Rose frowned and grew anxious."What did she mean?

"Said something about how 'it's like he's left the kettle on. Like he knows he has something to get back to, but he can't remember what.' Odd right?"

"Mmm. Perceptive of her."

"Yeah, well, then she told me I was a little too familiar with him and needed to remember my position."

"Rude."

"Agreed. So now what are we going to do about those supposed meteors last night?" Martha asked.

"I honestly don't know. Maybe just wait and see if anything else happens? Here," she stood up and flicked the monitor on. "Let's see if the Doctor has anything to tell us." A moment later a recording of the Doctor stared up. The girls figured that he must have recorded it when he sent them to the wardrobe room.

_"This working? Girls, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One, don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two, don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it. Just let it hide away. Four. No, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four, you two. Don't let me abandon either of you. And fi-"_

Martha stood up and began fast forwarding the recording impatiently. "But there was a meteor, a shooting star. What are we supposed to do then?"

Rose sighed as the Doctor's image scrolled along quickly. It wasn't like she didn't have the whole thing memorized or anything, but, she still enjoyed listening to the sound of his voice. Apparently, Martha wasn't in the mood though. The woman in question stopped the fast forward when it neared the end.

_"And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. I'm trusting you to keep it, Rose. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch that the nice blonde lady has. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Rose... and Martha. Your choice. Oh, and thank you both." _

The recording stopped and Martha watched as Rose trailed her finger over the Doctor's frozen image. I_ wish you'd come back_, she thought to herself.

* * *

A few hours later Rose found herself back in the library. It wasn't that she hated the job... she just disliked it quite a bit. The library in the TARDIS was lovely and grand. It never smelled of dust or mold. Instead it smelled rich and somehow...alive. But here at the Faringham School for Boys, Rose was having to grow used to the smell of musty old books.

It was these thoughts that had Rose's mind elsewhere while she stood on a small ladder, putting back old books and stifling a yawn.

"Miss Tyler?"

Rose gave a small yelp of shock as she tumbled off the ladder and landed directly on Timothy Latimer.

Rose groaned before rolling off the small boy. "Oh my god, Tim! Are you alright?"

"Fine. Fine," he said, stifling his own groan. "It's my own fault. I didn't meant to startle you. Are you alright mu'm?"

"Oh don't worry about me. Oh god, I feel awful!"

Once standing, Tim felt much better. "Really, Miss Tyler, I'm alright."

"Nothing's broken?"

"No mu'm."

"Alright then. What can I do for you Mr. Latimer?"

Tim pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. "Mr. Smith wants me to read this book. He said he would have collected it himself but something came up."

Rose nodded, trying to hide her disappointment in not seeing the man himself. "The Definitive Account of Mafeking by Aitchison Price," Rose read aloud. "Sounds dead boring." Tim smiled brightly as Rose went to look for the book.

_Time Lord. Hide yourself._

"Did you say something, Miss Tyler?"

"Nope," Rose called out from the back on the library. "Just looking for this book. I have no idea where it could be!"

_The secret lies within. I'm trapped. I'm kept inside the cogs. _

Tim looked around the room, trying to find the source of the voice. It was then he noticed an old fob watch laying on the ground.

_In the dark, waiting. Always waiting. _

Tim opened the watch but closed it quickly when he heard the librarian's voice.

"Honestly that man," Rose stated as she came back into view and head over to her desk. She noticed and odd look on Tim's face. "You alright?"

He cleared his throat and gripped the watch tightly. "Yes, mu'm."

_Power of a Time Lord. _

Rose stood up and moved in front of the boy. "Right then. It seems that Mr. Smith checked out that very book three weeks ago. You'll have to collect it from him I'm afraid." When he didn't respond Rose put her hand on his shoulder. "Tim?"

As she gripped his shoulder Tim was hit with and image of Miss Tyler bather in a gold light. He took a step back out of her each. "I-I'm sorry," he stuttered.

"What have you got there?" Rose nodded to his clenched hand.

Reluctantly he handed over the watch. "I found it on the ground," he defended.

"Must have fallen out of my pocket when I fell," Rose told him warily. "Thanks for finding it. This watch is very important to me. Means the world."

"Yes mu'm." Time nodded before hurrying out of the room.

* * *

A few hours later and Rose was utterly exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and take a nap. If she did though, it would be her second nap that day. She couldn't understand it. Normally she could stay up for hours on end. Sometimes even days, depending on the adventure she and the Doctor found herself in. But ever since they arrived in 1913, the littlest tasks drained her energy.

Giving in to another yawn, Rose decided some fresh air might do her good. She made sure she had her beloved fob watch in her pocket, before locking the library doors and heading out of the school. On her way she ran in to Headmaster Rocastle, who had also decided he needed some fresh and asked Rose to accompany him while he went to observe the students who were out running drills.

* * *

Rose cringed when she realized they were walking towards the shooting range. She only grew more uncomfortable when she realized it was Mr. Smith's class practicing firing machine guns on some crudely done targets.

"Cease fire!" Rocastle shouted when they drew nearer. "Lady on the field."

"Good day to you, Headmaster, Miss Tyler," John greeted cheerfully.

"Your crew's on fine form today, Mr. Smith," the headmaster complimented.

One of the older boys piped in, "Excuse me, Headmaster. We could do a lot better. Latimer's being deliberately shoddy."

"I'm trying my best," the younger boy defended.

"I'm sure you are, Tim," Rose said reassuringly, not liking the look of the older boy.

Headmaster Rocastle spoke over her though, "You need to be better than the best. Those targets are tribesmen from the dark continent."

"That's exactly the problem, sir," Tim told him. "They only have spears."

Rose silently cheered. What a brilliant boy. Her happiness soon faded though when she heard the headmaster's next words.

"Oh, dear me. Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realise how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing."

"Now hold on one minute!" Rose said loudly to stop the boys. "Headmaster Rocastle, I am appalled at your statement. How dare you wish any sort of battle or war upon your students. Timothy here makes a valid point. You are shooting these atrocious guns at 'people' who only have spears to defend themselves. And tell me, why exactly are you fighting them? With spears as their only weapon, I somehow doubt they found their way to England to attack you. Which means, you invaded their country. Their home. I've seen the horrors of wars. Things that would give you lot nightmares for years to come. I lost my family because of a stupid, stupid battle. So don't you hope for this young man to go and fight a war." Rose stopped her rant and clenched her hands into tight fists, trying to calm her rage.

No one knew what to say. The boys were in complete shock. They had never seen the sweet and kind Miss Tyler like that before. And then poor John looked at her with such sadness. As for the headmaster? Well he looked utterly embarrassed as he muttered the phrase, "Resume firing."

The students slowly went back to their posts but it seemed that, if anything, Latimer was more distracted then ever. "Stoppage. Immediate action. Didn't I tell you, sir? This stupid boy is useless," the older boy from before said. He then turned to Rocastle. "Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir."

The headmaster looked to John. "It's your class, Mr. Smith."

John looked extremely uneasy. Completely torn. "Permission..."

"Denied," Rose stated firmly. "Come on, Tim. I need some help in the library." She grabbed the boy's arm and walked swiftly away from the shooting range.

* * *

"Hello," John greeted as he made his way into the library and short time later.

"Hello," Rose responded stiffly. "If you're looking for Timothy then you've already missed him."

"No, no. I was looking for you. I was wanted to apologize for everything that happened out there."

"Were you going to let that boy beat Tim?"

"I...I didn't want to," he said slowly.

Rose sighed. "But you were going to."

"I don't know. I'm sorry. You were right. Everything you said before was right."

She nodded and gave a small smile. "Apology excepted."

"Brilliant!" he exclaimed. "I was wondering if perhaps you would care to go for a walk with me?"

"I'd love to."

* * *

As they walked towards the village John began peppering her with questions. Mainly curious about her comments of seeing things that cause nightmares and losing her family in a battle.

Rose took a deep breath and tried to come up with a good story that wouldn't trigger any memories for him. "I've traveled a lot. With my family mostly. I was young and a bit jeopardy friendly and somehow found myself in situations where I've seen the horrors of wars. Terrible wars. And then there was this local battle where my family and I were staying at the time. And of course, we got involved. It was a mess. Nothing seemed to be going our way. Then a friend of mine was able to figure out a way of defeating the enemy. But it came at a cost. And that cost ended up being my family."

"I'm sorry, Miss Tyler. I'm so sorry," he said kindly as he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Call me, Rose."

He blushed deeply but looked extremely please. "Alright then, Rose. You must call me John then."

She nudged his shoulder. "Alright then... John."

They continued talking about various things as they neared the village. A moment later though John grew distracted and before Rose could even ask him what was wrong, he grabbed the cricket bat the boy next to him was holding and threw it at some scaffolding outside the Ironmongers, causing it to fall and hit a plank that sent a brick flying through the air to knock down a milk churn in front of a woman with a perambulator, stopping it just before some rope, that was being used to hoist a piano up to a second story, to finally give up and drop the piano to the ground mere feet in front.

"Bloody hell!" Rose whispered.

John's heart was racing from the adrenaline rush he had just experienced. With bravery coursing through his veins he turned to the blonde woman next to him and asked, "Rose Tyler, might I invite you to the village dance this evening, as my guest?"

"Why not!" Rose laughed as she tucked her arm in his.

The pair began to make their way back to the school, teasing and flirting the whole way. Stopping only for a moment so that John could fix a slumping scarecrow. _Always a man of many talents, _Rose thought to herself.

Once they were back at the school, John led Rose to his study so he could show her his journal. They made themselves comfortable on the Chesterfield as he read to her some of adventures he had penned.

"Blimey, is that me?" Rose asked when she came across one of the sketches he had made of her.

"Most definitely. Do you like it?" he asked nervously.

"You made me look beautiful."

"Well, you are beautiful," he stated matter of factly.

She was tempted to ask if he meant for a human, but bit her tongue. "Thank you, John," was her response instead.

He frowned at her reply. "You don't believe me," he said. Not as a question, but as a fact.

Rose didn't couldn't respond. She didn't know what to say. She was becoming very aware of how close they were sitting. Of how intimately he brushed away a lock of her that had escaped her bun. And oh, how badly she wanted to lean forward and press her lips to his... but it would be wrong. Because this man, this silly and wonderful human man, wasn't real. He was really the Doctor. And while she knew the Doctor cared for her deeply, this was something he would never allow to happen between them. So pulling subtly away, she said quietly, "I believe you, John. Thank you for showing me your Journal of Impossible Things. Now if I'm going to look presentable for this dance this evening, I better go back to my room and start getting ready."

John cleared his throat and backed away. "Of course. You can keep the journal for a bit... if you'd like."

Feeling horribly guilty about her actions, Rose leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I would love that."

To her credit, Rose was able to leave John's study without breaking down into sobs, but running into Martha just outside his door didn't help any.

"Rose, are you alright?" the other woman asked after seeing the look on her face.

"I'm always alright," she replied automatically before adding, "I just miss _him."_

"Me too," Martha told her, giving her a reassuring hug.

* * *

A while later, Rose found herself in a beautiful TARDIS blue dress, that the ship Herself had provided. John grinned in delight at her appearance. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you," Rose said with a curtsy. "Now here's my question, can you actually dance?"

"Well, I've got the moves, but I wouldn't want to boast," he replied back with cheek.

Somehow Rose was able to hid her shock at his words. While she had firmly decided that she would have fun with John Smith and enjoy his presence for the evening, it didn't stop her one bit form missing the Doctor. The proper Doctor. And it didn't help one bit when John made comments like that. Rolling her eyes, Rose told him, "You've got the moves? Then let's get to this dance so you can show me your moves."

* * *

She had to find Rose. That was the thought they kept running through her mind as Martha raced through the school. The Family had found them and they needed to open the watch now. It had been a normal day. Martha had helped Rose pick out a dress to wear for the dance tonight and then she went back to her duties as a maid. Later, one of the teacher's didn't want his tea and kindly told Martha that she could have it. There was plenty to share and she figured her friend Jenny would appreciate a break. But then Jenny started acting strange. Sniffling and saying things that didn't make sense. When she started pepping Martha with questions about John and Rose, it all became clear. The Family of Blood had found them.

"No!" Martha cried when she burst into Rose's room and found it empty. The library door was closed and locked so she knew Rose wouldn't be in there either. _Mr. Smith's room! _Martha thought as she ran down the corridor. She was only met with disappointment though when discovered it empty as well. With frantic determination, Martha ran out of the school and towards the village dance.

* * *

"I have a few memories of my parents dancing around the house. My mother loved to dance," John told Rose as they walked towards the village hall where the dance was being held.

"Really?" Rose asked in shock. She was curious if this was a memory the TARDIS gave him, or perhaps one of the Doctor's bleeding through. He so rarely spoke of his family. "Sounds like they were happy. Where did you grow up?" She bit her tongue. Oh, why did she have to go and ask him that...

"Gallifrey," he responded immediately.

"R-really? Never heard of it."

"Yes, yes... it was uh... in Ireland," he told her, a bit unsure of himself.

"Don't sound Irish to me," she teased.

"Not at all, no. My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham, and my mother Verity was a nurse" Just then, Timothy Latimer came racing around the corner, knocking into Rose. Thankfully, John had a good hold of her arm and was able to keep her upright. "Slow down, Mr. Latimer!"

"S-s-sorry," Tim replied nervously as he backed away from Rose.

Rose eyed the boy carefully. "It's fine, Tim. Are you alright? What are you doing out of the school at this hour."

He shoved his hands in his pocket. "I was on a walk. And I must have lost track of time. I'm on my way back there now though!"

"Well, hurry up then. I won't report you this time, but you must be more careful in the future," John warned sternly.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

As Martha ran to the path that would lead her to the village she ran smack into Tim. "Oh, sorry!"

Tim clutched the watch he had taken from Miss Tyler when he knocked into her and was filled with a vision on Martha Jones running in some unusual clothing. "Martha?"

She kept running and called back to him. "Not now, Tim. Busy!"

* * *

Rose was pleased to find out that John did have some pretty impressive moves as he waltzed her around the dance floor. He only stepped on her toes twice and only bumped into one other couple! Pretty impressive. For now Rose sat at one of the nearby tables as John fetched her a refreshment.

"Rose!" Martha cried as she ran and sat down next to her friend.

Rose was immediately on alert. "What's wrong. What happened?"

"They found us! They've done something to Jenny. We have to open the watch."

"Oh my god," Rose muttered as she stuck her hand in her pocket. Thanking her lucky stars that she always carried the watch with her. But wait... it's not there! "Oh my god!" she practically shouted. "It's gone! How can it be gone. I always have it!"

"What!?" Martha snapped.

"I don't understand," she whispered, trying to control her breathing.

"Is everything alright here?" John asked as he came back to find Rose in tears and his maid Martha looking ready to snap his head off.

"No. Everything is very much not alright," Martha said as Rose searched the immediate area for the missing watch. "Doctor, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny and they've possessed her or copied her or something, and we can't find the watch!"

"Oh, I see. Cultural differences," he told Rose. "It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a story."

"Oh you complete... This is not you." She poked him in the chest. "This is 1913."

"Good," he said soothingly. "This is 1913."

"You're being rude," Rose told him.

"I'm sorry, Rose, but I've got to snap him out of this," Martha replied before smacking the Doctor across the face.

"Wake up!" she said loudly enough for a few people to take notice. "We need to get you back to the TARDIS."

"How dare... how dare you," he stuttered. "I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant. Martha, you are dismissed from your duties at the school. You will leave these premises immediately. Now get out!"

Thankfully Martha had another plan. She pulled the sonic screwdriver out of her apron. "Do you know what this is? Name it. Go on, name it."

When he remained silent Rose gave up her search for the watch and said, "You're not John Smith. Your called the Doctor. The man you dream of every night? He's real and he's you."

Suddenly a man entered the hall, knocking over a coat rack and shouting, "There will be silence! All of you! I said, silence!" he added when there were still mummers in the frightened crowd.

"Mr. Clark, what's going on?" a man from the village asked. Mr. Clark pointed his gun at the man and vapourised him.

"Mr. Smith?" Martha said over the screams of the villagers. "Everything we told you, just forget it! Don't say anything," she warned.

"We asked for silence!" a student, Rose recognised as Jeremy Baines, shouted. "Now then, we have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

A little girl came forward and said, "No, better than that. The teacher. He's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines mocked.

"Of course I'm human," John defended. "I was born human, as were you, Baines. And Jenny, and you, Mr. Clark. What is going on? This is madness."

"Ooo, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull."

"But he's no good like this," Jenny said quietly.

Mr. Clark agreed, saying, "We need a Time Lord."

"Easily done," Baines said as he stepped forward and raised a gun at John. "Change back."

John Smith held up his hands. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Change back!"

"I literally do not know..." Martha's scream cut him off. Jenny had grabbed her from behind and was pointing a gun at her.

"Get off me!" Martha told her.

"Oi! Back off!" Rose growled moving to help her friend, only to be held back by John.

"She's your friend, isn't she?" Jenny taunted. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" John pleaded.

"Wait a minute. The maid told me about Smith and Miss Tyler. That woman, there!"

"Then let's have you," Clark stated, grabbing Rose's arm. Martha was shocked to see Rose walk with him willingly. But if Rose had learned anything on her travels, it was that there were times to fight, and times to let things happen. For the moment, she needed the Family to not see her as a threat. The look on John's face was heartbreaking though. Clearly he was distressed at the sight of Martha having a gun to her head, but it was nothing compared to the way he looked at Rose while she was in danger.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being human?" Baines asked. "Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or librarian? Your friend or your lover? Your choice."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Family of Blood.**_

**Please Review! xoxo**


	21. The Family of Blood Part 1

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such wondeful reviews! Love you all :) I really hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Family of Blood. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith," Jenny taunted the human man.

John Smith couldn't even begin to fathom what was happening all around him. It was like one of his nightmares come true. Seeing Rose in danger was what made it the worst. It wasn't just that he felt protective over her, oh no, his dream alter ego, the Doctor, felt the same. He was terrified of losing his beloved pink and yellow human. It made John's emotions even more confusing. At the moment he was sure this Doctor character's feelings were seeping into his own.

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines said, bringing John from his thoughts.

_Time Lord. _

Suddenly the Family stopped and sniffed. "It's him!" Baines cried.

Rose made quick eye contact with Martha and at the slightest nod of her head both women had maneuvered out of their captor's holds and grabbed their guns as well. Martha held her gun at Jenny while Rose kept her's trained on Mr. Clark. "All right! One more move and we shoot," Martha warned the aliens.

"Oh, the maid is full of fire."

"And you can shut up!" she shouted, shooting her gun at the ceiling.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr. Clark told Baines. "This is all for you so that you can live forever."

The possessed boy had his own gun trained at her, while the young girl had her's raised at Rose. "You do realise that we can shoot you both down right now."

Rose smirked with false bravado. "You could try."

"Go ahead," Martha said with her own smirk. "We'll die together."

"Would you really pull the trigger? Either of you?" Baines asked. "Looks too scared."

Rose answered first, "Nah. I've faced down far worse than you."

"I somehow doubt that," Mr. Clark injected.

"Ever heard of the Daleks?" she asked the Family.

The looks on their faces was answer enough. "T-they disappeared," Jenny said carefully.

"Yeah they did," Rose said with a smile. "Cause of me. You see they have a name for my friend. The Oncoming Storm they call him. But you know what they call me?" She paused dramatically. "They call me an abomination, cause I saw every atom of their existence and I divided them like that." She snapped her fingers. "Turned 'em to dust."

"Not possible!" Baines told her. "You're just a silly human girl."

"Yep! And doesn't that just scare you to death?"

Silence filled the village hall. Finally Martha cleared her throat. "Yeah, well, I might not be like her but I'll fully admit that I'm scared. Scared and holding a gun's a good combination. Do you want to risk it?" The Family eyed her and Rose carefully before lowering their weapons. "Doctor, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on. Do it!"

"She means you, John!" Rose shouted when he stood there without moving. She felt relief when Joan Redfern popped up and was able to keep a level head. She encouraged John to help her to do as Martha said. Rose took a moment to be pleased at Joan's presence at the dance. She had clearly come alone but at least she hadn't waited for a man to ask her. She wanted to go and she did. _Good for her! _Rose thought to herself as the last of the townspeople left.

"And you. Go on. Just shift," Martha warned John when he was the last person left.

"What about you? I couldn't possibly leave you two here!" John said with anguish.

"John, you need to escort the Matron to safety," Rose told him calmly, wanting him as far away from the Family as possible. "We'll be alright. I promise."

Reluctantly he gave a nod and ran outside. He went to one of the men he recognized from town. "Mr. Hicks, warn the village. Get everyone out." He then noticed the Timothy Latimer was still lurking about. Latimer, you shouldn't be here! Get back to the school. Tell the headmaster-"

Tim pulled out of the man's reach and screamed, "Don't touch me. You're as bad as them!"

* * *

As soon as he was gone Jenny and Mr. Clark broke away from Martha and Rose. "Don't try anything. I'm warning you, or Sonny boy gets it," Martha said as she kept her gun pointed at Baines.

"She's almost brave, this one," he taunted as the Family began to slow walk towards the two women,

"I should have taken her form. Much more fun. So much spirit!" Jenny said with envy.

"Oh I wish I had got Miss Tyler," the little girl grinned. "It would have been so much more exciting to be in her form."

Rose and Martha began to inch their way backwards as the latter asked, "What happened to Jenny? Is she gone?"

"She is consumed. Her body's mine."

"You mean she's dead?"

"Yes. And she went with precious little dignity. All that, ah, screaming!"

"You're sick!" Rose spat out at them right before two possessed scarecrows grabbed Rose and Martha from behind.

"Get the guns!" Baines commanded. They were able to do as they were told but both women were able to escape out of the hall. "Good work, soldiers."

* * *

Rose and Martha both groaned in unison when they ran outside and saw the John and Joan were still there, waiting. "Don't just stand there, move!" Martha shouted. "God, you're rubbish as a human. Come on!"

Rose quickly grabbed John's hand and whispered, "Run!"

A feeling of unease spread throughout him as he felt a distinct sense of deja vu.

* * *

Once they made it safely back to the school John grabbed the nearest warning bell and began ringing it loudly. "What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together. Take arms! Take arms!" he began shouting.

"John stop it!" Rose shouted back, reaching to grab the bell away from him.

He held the object out of her reach and asked, "You want me to fight, don't you? Take arms! Take arms!"

"I don't want _you_ to fight," she said just loud enough for him to hear.

One of the older boys came running down the stairs. "I say sir, what's the matter?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson. Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

Rose screamed in frustration. _Where the bloody hell is that watch! _She never took it out of her pocket. Even when she slept, she kept it under pillow. The only time it had ever been a part from her was when she had toppled over Tim and he found it on the ground. _Tim! _Her mind began to race back to earlier in the evening when he ran into her. Could he have taken the watch? She had to find him immediately. With a quick word to Martha telling her to keep John in her sights, Rose ran upstairs in search of Latimer.

* * *

Rose flopped onto her bed as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Now was _not _time to take a nap. She had searched every dormitory for the boy. Even checked the kitchen and the library to see if he was hiding there, but nothing. Finally, she went back to her room and decided to search all of her dress pockets, just to make sure the watch hadn't magically teleported there. Which, honestly, wouldn't be that hard for Rose to believe.

Suddenly Martha burst into the room with Joan Redfern trailing behind her. "Did you find the watch?"

Rose shook her head sadly. "No. I'm almost positive Timothy Latimer took it from me, but I can't find him anywhere!"

"What do we do?" Martha asked nervously.

"I don't know," Rose admitted. "If we could get him back to the TARDIS perhaps She could help us..."

"You two are talking nonsense!" Joan finally injected, reminding Rose and Martha that she was still there. "The Doctor was just a story Mr. Smith dreamed about and wrote in his journal."

"It's all true, Matron. Everything he wrote about his really true. Martha and I travel with the Doctor. And I know what you're thinking!" Rose added when Joan opened her mouth to speak. "We're not crazy. We're not even from 1913. We just came here to hide from the Family."

"I know it sounds mad," Martha continued, "but when the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and he stored it inside the watch. You know, the one Rose always carries around. Only, it's not really a watch, it just looks like a watch."

"And alien means not from abroad, I take it," Joan said cautiously.

"The man you call John Smith, he was born on another world."

"A different species."

"Yes," Rose confirmed. "He looks like a human though. Or technically humans look like Time Lords. That's what he is, by the way, a Time Lord."

Joan seemed to ponder this before finally asking, "Then tell me, in this fairy tale, who are you two?

"We're his friends," Martha answered. "Rose has been with him for a few years now. I've only been around for a few months... I think. It's hard to tell sometimes."

"And you're humans, I take it?"

Rose giggled. "Humans," she confirmed. "Not only that, our Martha Jones is training to be a doctor in her own right!" Rose declared proudly.

"Not an alien doctor, a proper doctor. A doctor of medicine," the women in question clarified.

"Well that certainly is nonsense. Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of your colour," Joan said with haughtiness.

Rose shook her head. "You can accept the fact the John Smith is a time traveling alien yet you can't believe that Martha's going to be a doctor? Shame on you, Nurse Redfern."

"There is no way she could be a doctor!"

Martha raised en eyebrow. "Oh, do you think? Bones of the hand. Carpal bones, proximal row. Scaphoid, lunate, triquetal, pisiform. Distal row. Trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then the metacarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges. Proximal, middle, distal."

"Bravo!" Rose cheered.

"You read that in a book," Joan replied meekly.

"Yes, to pass my exams. Can't you see this is true?"

"I must go."

"If you see Tim you must stop him!" Rose called out to her.

"There might not be time..."

"If we find that watch, then we can stop them," Martha told her firmly.

Joan blinked back tears. "Those boys are going to fight. I might not be a doctor, but I'm still their nurse. They need me." With that she ran out of the room.

Rose cringed when, a few minutes later, the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the school. "The Doctor's going to hate himself for this," she muttered before turning to Martha, "Come on. We need to get him to the TARDIS."

The other woman sighed. "He's not going to come willingly."

"Then we'll knock him out and drag him there!" she said exasperated.

Martha laughed, "Skinny bloke like him? No problem."

* * *

_This is wrong, _John thought to himself as he watched his students open fire on the scarecrow men. They were just children. It was blessed relief when Rocastle commanded the troops to, "Cease fire!" It was even more of a relief when they realised that the scarecrows were made purely of straw and the boys hadn't actually killed. It was then that they all noticed a little girl, holding tightly to a red balloon, standing in the line of fire.

The headmaster stepped forward. "You, child. Come out of the way. Come into the school. You don't know who's out there. It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it? Come here. Come to me."

"Nooo!" Rose screamed as she ran outside.

Martha was right behind her shouting, "Mr. Rocastle! Please, don't go near her."

"Seriously, Headmaster. Step away from her," Rose warned.

"That's enough from you, Miss Tyler. And you, Miss Jones," the older man told them.

Martha held back an eye roll. "Just listen to us. She's part of it," she said noticing that Joan had made her way outside as well. "Matron, tell him."

"I think that... I don't know... I think you should stay back, Headmaster," Joan said with an exhale.

Rose saw John looking around with anguish. Clearly uncomfortable with the whole situation. "Go on, John, tell him," she encouraged.

"She was," he started, "she was with, with Baines in the village."

"Mr. Smith, I've seen many strange sights this night, but there is no cause on God's Earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir," the headmaster told him before turning back to the girl. "Come with me."

"You're funny," she said.

"That's right. Now take my hand."

"Mr. Rocastle, please listen to me!" Rose pleaded with the man.

"So funny," the little girl said darkly before pulling out a gun and vapourising the man. She turned and looked at the group before her. "Now who's going to shoot me. Any of you, really?"

There was a moment of silence before John Smith ordered, "Put down your guns."

"But, sir, the Headmaster..." said the older boy from before.

"I'll not see this happen. Not anymore. You will retreat in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But sir-"

"I said, lead the way."

Baines stepped up from behind the little girl, saying, "Well, go on, then. Run!" He shot his gun in the air as chaos ensued.

"Come on!" Martha shouted to the boys as Baines ordered the scarecrows to, "Reanimate!"

* * *

"Let's go. Quick as you can," John shouted to the boys as the began fleeing the school.

"Don't go to the village," Martha added. "It's not safe."

"And you, ladies," he said to Martha, Rose, and Joan.

"Not till we've got the boys out," the nurse told him firmly.

As soon as the area around them was cleared of students John turned to the women next to him, "Now, I insist. The three of you, just go. If there are any more boys inside, I'll find them." He opened the door closest to him, only to come face to face with a group of scarecrows. "I think, retreat!"

* * *

The four adults made their way outside and hid in the bushes. It was then they heard the voice of Mr. Clark call out, "Doctor! Doctor! Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize." Rose gasped when she peaked through the bushes and saw that the Family had the TARDIS.

"Out you come, Doctor," Baines shouted. "There's a good boy. Come to the Family."

Jenny stepped forward. "Time to end it now."

Martha looked at Rose and saw the dejected look on her face. That phone box was her home. But then there was the way John looked at it. He knew it! "You recognise it, don't you?" she asked quietly.

"Come out, Doctor. Come to us!" Jenny called before he could answer.

"I've never seen it in my life," he told her, not wanting to except what was right before him.

Rose gave a sharp intake of breath at his answer, as a few tears began to trickle down her face. Martha squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Do you remember its name?" she questioned carefully.

"I'm sorry, John," Joan said sympathetically, "but you wrote about it. The blue box. You dreamt of a blue box. I saw it in your journal."

Tears welled in his eyes as he began to shake. "I'm not... I'm John Smith. That's all I want to be. John Smith, with his life, and his job, and his," he stopped and looked at Rose, "and his love. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

Rose took his face in her hands. "Yes, yes, of course he is!"

"Why can't I stay?" he pleaded with her.

Rose didn't know what to say. How could she possible answer him? Thankfully, Martha sensed her dilemma and spoke up, "But we need the Doctor."

"What am I, then?" he asked her. "Nothing. I'm just a story."

He took off at a run and the women hastily followed him. Rose was able to get up next to him but was met with silence. She turned to him and said, "We're all just stories in the end, John." She went to reach for his hand but he quickened his steps and moved away from her.

Rose flexed her hand as her own words rang back at her, _"Who's going to hold his hand now?"_

* * *

**_Coming Soon: The Family of Blood Part 2_**

**Please review! xoxo**


	22. The Family of Blood Part 2

**A/N: Alright kids, the next chapter is here! As always, many thanks to my followers (old & new), those of you who have favorited, and to everybody who has taken the time to leave such wonderful reviews! I worked hard on this chapter and I hope you enjoy :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Family of Blood. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

The four adults continued a brisk walk away from the school. Rose tried to say something to John several times but was continued to be met with silence. Finally Joan Redfern caught up and walked past them saying, "This way. I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going." John told her sternly.

"Just listen to me for once, John. Now, follow me," she replied before running off towards a small path. They all followed her and were quickly met with a small cottage. "Oh, here we are. It should be empty. Oh, it's a long time since I've run that far."

"But who lives here?" Martha asked, coming up behind her.

"If I'm right, no one." Joan walked towards the door and found it to be unlocked. She slowly stepped inside and saw that the cottage was dark and seemed to be empty. "Hello? No one home. We should be safe here."

Rose looked around and saw that the table was set for tea. "Who lives here?"

"The Cartwrights. That little girl at the school, she's Lucy Cartwright, or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's form," Joan explained. "If she came home this afternoon, and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished." She moved to touch the teapot. "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

"Yeah. That tends to happen," Rose said, giving her an apologetic smile.

The group descended into an awkward silence as John carefully sat down in the closest chair. "I must go to them," he announced. "Before anyone else dies."

Joan looked at him in surprise and sat down as well. "You can't," she told him before looking at Martha and Rose. "There must be something we can do."

"Not without the watch," Martha answered bleakly.

Suddenly John's face turned angry as he shot a glare towards Martha. "You're this Doctor's companion. Can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?" He spared a glance at Rose as he added, "Either of you?"

Rose took a deep breath before she replied. "When I first met him, he had just lost everything. He was alone. He needed someone to be with him, keep him on track. So that's what I do, I'm his best friend. And now we have Martha with us too, and she's had to put up with a lot these past few of months so stop yelling at her!"

"You said he was alone," John stated. "And that's what you want me to become?"

Rose was saved from having to answer by a knock at the door. Everyone stared silently. Finally, Joan asked, "What if it's them?"

"I'm not an expert," Martha said softly, "but I don't think scarecrows knock." She then made her way to the door, just barely opening it. When she saw who was waiting outside she opened the door fully.

"I brought you this," Timothy Latimer said, holding out the Doctor's fob watch.

Martha grabbed the watch and pulled the boy inside. She then held her hand that was holding the watch, out to John. "Hold it," she told him.

John shook his head. "I won't."

"Please, John," Rose begged. "Just hold it for a moment."

Tim looked at his teacher and said, "It told me to find you. It wants to be held."

"You've had this watch all this time?" Joan asked. "Why did you take it from Miss Tyler? And why didn't you return it sooner?"

"Because it was waiting. And because I was so scared of the Doctor."

"Why?" she asked.

Rose inhaled sharply and prayed that the young boy chose his words wisely.

Tim walked towards John as he answered. "Because I've seen him. He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," John whispered.

"He's ancient and forever. He burns at the centre of time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it! I said stop it."

"And he's wonderful."

Rose smiled. That had to be one of the best descriptions of the Doctor that she had ever heard. There was just something about that silly alien man. Whether in leather or pinstripes, he was one of the most gorgeous and powerful beings in the universe.

Joan cleared her throat from where she was still sitting at the table. "I've got this." She pulled out John's journal. "I was in Miss Tyler's room earlier and found your journal on her desk. I hope you don't mind me taking it, but I was just so confused."

John clenched his jaw. If Rose didn't know any better she could swear that she saw a bit of the Oncoming Storm seeping through. "Those are just stories," he told her.

"Now we know that's not true. Perhaps there's something in here."

Out of nowhere, there was a small explosion outside that rocked the cottage. "What the hell?" Martha exclaimed.

They all made their way to the window and watched as balls of fire rained down in the distance. "They're destroying the village," Joan said sadly.

John held his hand out to Martha. "The watch."

"John, don't... "

"Don't stop him!" Rose whispered to the matron.

John held the watch tightly. _Closer._

_"_Can you hear it?" Tim asked.

_Closer. _"I think he's asleep. Waiting to awaken." _Little man._

"Why did he speak to me?"

"Oh, low level telepathic field. You were born with it. Just an extra synaptic engram causing-" John gasped and gave a small step backwards. He looked at Rose in Martha in horror. "Is that how he talks?"

"All the time!" Rose laughed.

Martha grinned with her friend as she said, "That's him. All you have to do is open it and he's back."

The look he gave Rose shattered any joy she was feeling. And his next words to her were like a slap in the face. "You knew this all along? And yet you let me pursue you?"

She stepped closer to him. "It wasn't... It wasn't like that... I just... I didn't know what to do! He never said this would happen," she told him, trying to hold back her tears.

"He gave us a list of things to watch out, for but that wasn't included," Martha told him as she stood next to Rose and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Falling in love? That didn't even occur to him? Especially with you... You haunted my dreams every night, Rose," he said accusingly.

"He doesn't feel that way about me," Rose shot back weakly. "I never thought..."

"Then what sort of man is that? And now you expect me to die?"

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha raised her voice. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited life span, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute me," he stated.

The cottage continued to shake as more explosions went off in the village. This had to end. "People are dying out there. They need him and I need him. And lord knows, Rose needs him! Because you've got _no_ idea of what he's like. I've only just met him. It wasn't even that long ago. But he is everything. He's just everything to me and but mostly he's everything to Rose. He doesn't even look at me when she's around, but I don't care, because like Tim said, he's wonderful. And I hope to god he won't remember me saying this cause his ego's bad enough as it is."

An even stronger explosion went off somewhere nearby. Tim looked out the window and announced, "It's getting closer."

John looked up and began pacing. "I should have thought of it before! I can give them this." He held the watch out. "Just the watch. Then they can leave and I can stay as I am."

"You can't do that!" Martha shouted.

"Please, John. Think about what you're saying!" Rose told him, as she eased closer to his side.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him."

Martha shook her head. "He'll never let you do it."

"If they get what they want, then, then..."

"Then it all ends in destruction," Joan said softly, holding up John's journal. "I read to the end. Those creatures would live forever to breed and conquer, for war across the stars for every child."

As John began sobbing, All Rose could think was that she had never seen the Doctor cry like this. She had seen him let a few tears escape. Just once. Right after Utah and the "last" Dalek. But never had she seen him cry. The need to comfort and protect John became almost unbearable. She looked around the room and said, "Martha, Joan, Tim, would you mind giving John and I a moment alone?" Martha gave a reluctant nod before ushering the other two out of the room.

As soon as they were out of sight, the little control John had left, vanished. He broke down completely as Rose wrapped her arms around him, leading him to a small bench. Once his tears ran dry, he looked stoically at the watch.

Rose took a deep breath and laid her hand on his arm. "I know this is confusing for you. And if I could do something to make it better, I would."

John turned his head towards her sharply. "He won't love you."

Rose gave him a sad smile and said, "I know that. But he does care for me, in his own way. There's no doubt in my mind about that."

"But... I love you..."

"And that's something I'll keep with me always," she said, taking his free hand and holding it tightly.

"And it was real... I wasn't... I really thought..."

"Course it was real! But now it's got to end. I need you to open the watch now."

When he saw her hand moving towards the watch, he held it out of her reach. "Not yet! Please, not yet! I'm not ready to die."

"John, loads of people are dying right now! And the Doctor is gonna hate himself because of all the losses tonight. Just open the watch and the Doctor could fix all of this."

"Do you love him?" he asked out of nowhere.

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"It's a simple question. I've declared my feelings for you but you haven't done the same for me and I want to know if you love _him_."

"I.. I... We're better than that! Alright!? And as for you, you stupid human-" With that she stopped and grabbed the lapels of his jacket, pulling him in for a passionate kiss. When the need for oxygen became apparent for both, she broke away. "I hope you make the right decision," she muttered before running out the back door.

* * *

Rose ran around the house, trying to keep out of Martha, Joan, and Timothy's sights. They would most certainly disapprove of what she was planning on doing. Oh, she knew there was no way of permanently stopping the Family, but if she could just distract them long enough to stop their bombings, then perhaps some lives could be spared. It was all up to her now. The Doctor might not be back in time and right now, the Earth needed a defender.

* * *

Martha was hugging Tim tightly as another explosion went off in the distance. _What is taking them so long? _Martha thought to herself as she continued to wait for Rose to convince John to open the watch. What if she couldn't do it? What if the Doctor never returned? She would be stuck in 1913 for the rest of her life! Not that it would be very long. With the Family taking over, she would most certainly be dead in no time. She shook her head, trying to dispel the negative thoughts that haunted her.

Suddenly an heart wrenching scream tore through the cabin. Martha felt incredibly guilty for the joy that the sound brought her. She recognized that scream. She knew what it meant. It meant-

"Hello!" a voice called out through the now open door.

Martha swallowed and look closely at the man. "D-doctor...?"

"Martha Jones! Long time no see," the Time Lord exclaimed as he pulled his companion in for a hug. "Ah yes, introductions," he said to Joan and Tim. "I'm the Doctor. Pleasure to finally meet you both officially."

Joan just nodded solemnly as Tim offered an awestruck, "Hello."

"Now then, where is Rose? I would have expected to see her first thing!"

"What do you mean?" Martha looked at him confused. "She was inside with you."

"No...no. She left, right before I opened the watch. She went out the... backdoor!"

"Do you think the Family got her?" Tim asked worriedly.

"No, Mr. Latimer. I can almost guarantee you that Rose Tyler wandered off."

Martha found herself extremely angry. She and Rose had worked hard at being a team while the Doctor was "away," and the fact that she just left without her, hurt Martha's feelings. "Why on Earth would she do that?"

The Doctor ignored her question and instead said, "Martha, very soon there is going to be a large bang over in Cooper's Field. When you hear that large bang, head to the school and collect your's and Rose's things. Make sure you leave nothing behind. Meet me back here after. Joan, Tim, stay inside the cottage until Martha returns and gives you the all clear. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Tim answered as he lead the Matron inside.

"I want to go with you," Martha told him.

"And I need you to stay here. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

* * *

"Where is the Time Lord?!"

"I told you, I don't know! Just stop bombing the village. Please! I'm begging you," Rose cried out to the Family. She had finally made her way to Cooper's Field and had very easily got inside their spaceship. Of course now, they all had their guns trained on her. But hey, at least they were too distracted to continue killing off the villagers.

"Begging," Jenny spat out. "How very _human._"

"Yeah that's right," she told them. "I am human. And those bodies your using as hosts were humans once too! You," she pointed at the older man. "You were Mr. Clark. I met him on my first day here. He saw me walking alone towards the school and insisted and giving me a ride on his wagon so I wouldn't have to carry my luggage all the way there." She looked next at the younger boy. "And you were Jeremy Baines. A right prat he was, but you know what? I think somewhere deep inside he had some kindness in him. Cause one day, I saw him helping one of the first year boys, who was being picked on, with his homework in the library. Course, he thought no one was looking, but I saw. Then there was you, Jenny. She and Martha became fast friends. She was so kind and caring. Willing to help with anything asked of her." She finally turned her gaze to the little girl. "And then we have Lucy Cartwright. I didn't know her. But look, she was just a little girl. A child. And you destroyed her. You destroyed all of them! Just so you could live forever."

"Enough!" Jeremy cried out. "Oh you think he had kindness in his heart? Well I can access his surface memories and let me tell you. The thoughts he had about you, my dear..." He backed Rose into a corner and began trailing his hand up her waist. "Far too naughty for this time period. And look at you. You burn like the sun. No wonder he was so plagued by these beastly thoughts. I'm curious...I wonder what it would be like to live out his fantasies in these primitive human bodies."

Rose shuddered in fear as the boy's finger's grazed a little too close to her chest. "Human body, yeah? Then experience this!" she yelled as she kneed him in the groin.

"Kill her!" Jeremy cried as he doubled over in pain. "Then destroy the village! Blast them into dust, then fuse the dust into glass, then shatter them all over again."

Just as the Family moved to follow his orders, the space ship door opened. Rose grinned in relief when she saw who entered it was short lived when she realised he was still John Smith. "Just-" he started to say before knocking into a control panel. "Just stop the bombardment. And don't hurt Miss Tyler. That's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just, just stop."

Jeremy eyed him before saying, "Say please."

"Please."

Jenny lowered the lever that would cause the next explosion and stopped to sniff the air. "Wait a minute. Still human."

"Now I can't- I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know I'm innocent in all this. He made me John Smith. It's not like I had any control over it," John said as he flailed his arms and ended up hitting another panel of switches. Rose studied the man carefully. Something seemed... different.

"He didn't just make himself human. He made himself an idiot."

"Same thing, isn't it?" Baines purred.

"I don't care about this Doctor and your family. I just want you to go. So I've made my choice. You can have him." John walked forward and held the watch out to the Family. "Just take it, please! Take him away."

"No!" screamed Rose.

"At last," the boy said as he grabbed the watch before pulling John in by his lapels. "Don't think that saved your life."

As he pushed John away, Rose watched as he fell and flipped a row of switches down. It was almost like he was planning something. Could he be? _Doctor? _Rose thought to herself. It had to be. _Might as well play along. _"Please! Don't open that watch!"

"Family of Mine," Baines said, ignoring her, "now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord." He opened the watch and the all sniffed deeply. "It's empty!"

John, or perhaps the Doctor, looked up at them, frightened. "Where's it gone?"

"You tell me," he said as he threw the empty watch at them man.

The Doctor caught the object, without even looking, as he stood to full height. "Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection. Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said," he put his glasses on and inspected the ship, "I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilisers feeding back into the primary heat converters. Oh. Because if there's one thing you shouldn't have done, you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons. But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice." He moved to stand next to Rose. He grabbed her hand and said, "Run."

* * *

As soon as they made their way back to the TARDIS, Rose went immediately to her room to change. She took a deep breath as the ship was put back onto full power. "Glad to have you back, sweetheart," Rose whispered as she stroked a bit of her bedroom wall. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, Rose raced back to the control to find out what the Doctor had planned to do with the Family. He had assured her that the TARDIS would keep them trapped in a room until they could be taken care of. She could tell by the slight rocking motion that they had taken off, but she couldn't reach her destination. No matter where she went, the TARDIS kept leading her back to her bedroom. "Fine! I give up," Rose said as she flopped herself back on her bed.

An hour or so later she felt the ship land and decided to see if she could finally find the control room. Thankfully, whatever the TARDIS decided to keep her from was over and she found the Doctor adjusting something on the monitor. "We're in the field behind the cottage," the Doctor informed her curtly.

Before she could respond the door flung open and Martha raced inside. "What the hell happened to you?" she directed towards Rose before turning to the Doctor. "And you! You've been gone for hours. I've been worried sick."

"Never need to worry about me, Martha," he told her half heartedly.

She didn't look convinced but decided to ask the next obvious question. "And the Family? What happened to them?"

"Taken care of," was his only response.

"Right. Well then, Tim's gone back to the school but asked us to wait for him to comeback so he could say a proper goodbye. And I think we owe the boy that much. And Joan's still in the cottage. She seemed to be in a bit of shock over everything."

The Doctor took a deep breath and nodded. "Perhaps I should go talk to her."

"No," Rose said, stopping him quietly. "Let me do it."

* * *

"Is it done?" Joan asked with her back turned to the door.

"According to the Doctor, yes," Rose responded.

"The police and the army are at the school. The parents have come to take the boys home. I should go. They'll have so many questions. I'm not sure what to say. Oh," she exclaimed as she turned around and saw Rose in her modern clothing. "Look at what you're wearing. So fitted." She cleared her throat. "Goodness, you must forgive my rudeness. Where's Jo- You said Doctor, so that's what I must call him. Where is he though? John Smith?"

Rose shrugged. "Dunno, really. Suppose he's in the Doctor somewhere."

"Like a story. Could he change back?"

"I imagine so."

"Do you think he will."

"No."

"I see. Well, then. He was braver than the Doctor in the end, that ordinary man. He chose to change. John chose to die," Joan said, fighting back tears.

"It wasn't like that, Joan!" Rose insisted. "There are so many things you don't understand. The Doctor... he has so many responsibilities. The universe needs him. Cause without him? The Earth would have been destroyed a long time ago. I know you cared about him and for that I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry as well, Miss Tyler," she replied. "I don't think I'll ever understand this life you lead."

"Then come with us."

"I'm sorry?"

"Come with us on a trip! Just one place or more. Travel with us for a bit and see why we do what we do. Maybe that will help you understand."

Joan gave a slight shake of her head. "And what would I be to the Doctor?"

"A companion."

"But that's not fair. I had real feelings for John. What must I look like to the Doctor? A fool."

"He would never-"

"And you, he loved you and you strung that poor man along."

"Don't be like that," Rose said firmly to the woman. "You know nothing about me or the Doctor. I was being kind by offering you a trip. I felt like you deserved the chance to see our life."

"Answer me this then. Just one question, that's all." Joan stepped forward and stood directly in front of Rose. "If the Doctor had never visited us, if he'd never chosen this place on a whim, would anybody here have died?" When Rose could offer no answer she told her, "You can go."

* * *

Rose climbed up the hill near the TARDIS and saw the both Martha and Rose were waiting for her outside. "How is she?" the Doctor asked.

Rose crossed her arms and looked off to the distance. "She'll be fine."

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

She turned and gave him a stiff smile. "I'm always alright."

Whatever he was going to say was lost to the wind as Timothy Latimer made his way towards them. "Tim Timothy Timber!"

"I just wanted to say goodbye. And thank you. Because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha said pointedly.

Tim gave her a gentle look. "I think we do."

"But you could get hurt."

"Well, so could you, travelling around with him, but it's not going to stop you."

The Doctor took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Tim, I'd be honoured if you'd take this." He held the empty fob watch out to the boy.

"I can't hear anything," he said as he held the watch close.

"No, it's just a watch now. But keep it with you, for good luck."

Martha walked forward and hugged the boy. "Look after yourself," she told him, kissing his cheek. She then followed the Doctor into the TARDIS.

Rose embraced the boy next. "Take care, yeah?"

"I'm sorry," he said as he pulled away. "I'm sorry that I stole the watch from you. I shouldn't have done it. But it kept calling me and-"

"Hey." She placed her hand on his cheek. "It happened for a reason."

He nodded his head before his face turned solemn. "Promise me something? Promise me you will never give up on the Doctor. No matter what happens."

Rose gasped as the Face of Boe's words rang back at her. "Why are you saying that, Tim?" she asked nervously.

"Just promise me."

"I-" She swallowed audibly. "I promise."

"Thank you. Best get going," he said, nodding to the TARDIS.

Rose backed away slowly and went inside. Just as Tim was about to walk away the Doctor popped his head out the door and said, "You'll like this bit."

Tim's grin grew larger as the mysterious box disappeared.

* * *

"Right," the Doctor said to both Martha and Rose as the TARDIS finished dematerialising. "I never said... Thanks for looking after me."

Martha grinned and pulled the Doctor in for a hug. "It's good to have you back!"

"Well I should think so," he preened. "But honestly, Martha, was that slap necessary?"

"I didn't know what else to do!" she laughed. "I was a complete wreck."

"No denies from me," he countered. "And you, Rose-" He looked around the control room and found it empty. "Rose?" His face fell into a frown as he began absentmindedly fiddling with the console.

Martha brushed up next to him. "Go after her."

"I'm sure she's fine."

"Really? Cause I'm sure she's not."

He rolled his eyes. "You're not going to stop are you?"

"Nope!"

He sighed as he slowly made his way out of the control room and into the corridor leading to Rose's bedroom. The TARDIS seemed to have other ideas though as she continued to lead him round in circles. "Are you hiding her?" he asked his ship aloud. The hum that responded could most certainly be taken as an angry one. "What did I do wrong?" The TARDIS flashed the Doctor an image of himself giving Rose the cold shoulder earlier. "Alright perhaps I was a bit rude. But I had been worried about her! She sauntered off the Family's ship. Alone! If I had got there a few seconds later she would have been dead. So many people died in that village. And I just-" He stopped and stroked the wall. He chose to, instead of speaking his next words out loud, reach out to his ship telepathically. _John Smith fell in love with her. Of course he did. He was...me. And he acted on those feelings. And there were times... Oh, there were times I thought that she maybe felt the same. And then right before I changed... she kissed me. Him. It's going to make not acting on those feelings so much more difficult. But as challenging as it might be, right now I need to find her and clear the air. So please, help me._

The TARDIS must have taken pity on the Time Lord as a new door suddenly appeared next to him. "Thanks, old girl."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Blink.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	23. Blink Part 1

**A/N: Big thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, those who have left such great reviews! Blink is great because other than knowing that Martha worked in a shop to support the Doctor, not much is said about their time there! And now I can add Rose in the mix! I really hope you enjoy! *croses fingers***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some ideas below are borrowed from the episodes the Family of Blood and Blink. Credit for those ideas goes to their respective writers/creators.***

* * *

Rose needed to get away. It was strange. She had spent almost three months waiting for the Doctor to "comeback." But now that he was, all she wanted to do was be alone. So, as soon as he was distracted with Martha, Rose made a beeline out of the control room. After pleading with the ship for someplace comforting, the TARDIS lead Rose to one of the observation rooms. The view was overwhelming. If she didn't know any better she would really think she was on the roof of Bucknall House, overlooking the Powell Estate. Sending a silent thanks, along with a wave of gratitude, Rose perched herself on the edge of the building and let her mind wander.

She had kissed him. God, how stupid could she be? She had been so careful with John so when he turned back into the Doctor it wouldn't cause any awkwardness between them and then she had to go and spend their final moment togerther snogging the life out of him! And it wasn't like she was afraid of talking to the Doctor about it. Nope. They were good with not discussing things like that. Satellite 5? Oh look the Doctor's changed his face. Let's not discuss what action caused that. New Earth? Blame Cassandra and never speak of it again. Royal Hope Hospital? Hey, Rose, great job delaying the Judoon! But let's not mention how you did that. Oh and you can't forget New York and the Daleks! Here, Rose, let me just give you the best kiss of your life while I'm really just trying to slip you the psychic paper because you're an emotional wreck. Don't mention it! No really...don't.

And that was fine. Truly. She knew the Doctor's reason. And she wasn't lying to John when she told him that she knew the Doctor cared for her in his own ways. She did. She _knew._ It was different for the Doctor though. Rose was just a human and the Doctor was a Time Lord. Their feelings for each other meant different things. And that was something Rose came to terms with a long time ago. Course she had to reevaluate things after he went and fell in love with Reinette... but still. She was the uncrowned queen of France. Could she really blame him?

She missed her mum. If Jackie was still in this universe, Rose would have made herself a cuppa and had a nice long chat with her mum about silly things. Catch up on the local gossip and what was happening on Eastenders. And it would have been nice. She supposed that she could try ringing Shareen, but it just wasn't the same. She hadn't seen or spoken to her old friend since her mum and Mickey's "funeral" and it just wouldn't be the same. Because after her mum was done with her chit chat she would have asked Rose where they had just been and if there had been any nice shopping on whatever alien planet they were on and Rose would have regaled her with the _safer_ details of her's and the Doctor's most recent travels. But Shareen knew nothing of the life she really led. She thought Rose was really some doctor's assistant, who travelled throughout various countries doing research. Actually, that is what Shareen pretended to think. She really thought the Doctor kept her around for _other _needs.

Rose bit back a startled cry when the TARDIS suddenly sent Rose an image of a distressed looking Doctor roaming the halls. She knew what this meant. The TARDIS was asking her permission to let him in. This is why she loved the TARDIS, while she was completely devoted to her Time Lord, she also took her other occupants feelings into account. Taking a deep breath and smelling a faint hint of urine and stale chips, a scent that she always associated with her old home, she spoke aloud, "Go on, dear. Let him in.

If the Doctor was surprised by the room's image of the Powell Estate, he didn't show it. The truth was, he knew how much his ship cared for Rose and obviously she needed a bit of home right now. It was the same for him when he retreated to the garden with the red grass and trees with silver leaves.

"Hello," he greeted gently as he sat down next to her.

"Hello," she replied.

The Doctor bit his lip for a moment before coming right out and saying, "You should know that I'm very angry with you."

Instead of getting defensive like he expected, Rose gave a short laugh and told him, "Right back at ya."

"Seriously, Rose. What were you thinking just waltzing into their ship like that?"

"I was thinking that John Smith might not open the watch that contained your essence. At least, he might not open it in time to save at least some of the village. So I had to do something. And it worked. I was able to distract them long enough for you to get there."

"It was dangerous. They were going to kill you."

"Yeah they might of. But is my one life worth more than several other innocent people? The answer, Doctor, is no." She turned and looked at him sharply. "The threat of death has never stopped either one of us. Why should I let it now?"

"Because normally I'm there to protect you!" he yelled. "I never try to knowingly put you, or myself for that matter, in danger."

She snorted. "Yeah, alright." After being only met with silence, she leaned over and nudged his shoulder with her own. "I missed you."

He rolled his eyes and nudged her right back. "I missed you too."

"Really? I mean what did it all feel like?"

"Sort of like I was in a really deep sleep and I had a very vivid dream."

"Huh."

"Yep."

"So why are you angry with me?" he asked her, remembering her comment to him earlier.

"Because after we got back to the TARDIS I told you I was going to take a quick shower and be right back. Then you went and took care of the Family without me. And don't even pretend like you didn't ask the TARDIS to keep me away!"

"Rose..." He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "You have experienced so much since we have started travelling. Seen and done things, other people your age could never even imagine, let alone actually handle. But at the same time, you are still so innocent." He held his finger up when she opened her mouth to protest. "Just listen! That's what's so great about you, Rose Tyler. You see the beauty and wonder in everything and I hate that sometimes I have to take those things away from you. So yes, I was trying to protect you from what I did to the Family."

"What did you do?" she asked boldly.

"They wanted to live forever. I made sure they would," he answered, hoping she would leave it at that.

She didn't. "But what exactly did you do? You can tell me, Doctor. I want you to be able to share these things with me."

The Doctor sighed. He didn't want to tell her. But maybe he_ needed_ to. Looking straight ahead, so he wouldn't have to see her reaction, he answered, "I wrapped the father in unbreakable chains that were forged in the heart of a dwarf star. I tricked the mother into the event horizon of a collapsing galaxy to be imprisoned there forever." He paused and cleared his throat. "I trapped the daughter inside a mirror. Every mirror. Perhaps I'll go visit her from time to time," he mused. "And as the for the son, I suspended him in time as one of the scarecrows so he could stand over the fields of England, as their protector."

Rose wasn't sure what to say. A sudden sadness overwhelmed her. If the Time Lords were still around she was sure they would have been able to handle the situation from the start. At least, the Doctor always made it sound like that was their job. But now he was the only one left. All the burdens of the universe fell on him. "Thank you for telling me," was the only response she could give.

"That's it? You aren't upset with me? You do understand that I could have done that from the get go? You and Martha wouldn't have had to put up with everything you did in 1913 if I had just handled the situation right away? We didn't _have _to run."

"You're right. You could have done all that from the start, but that wouldn't have been giving them a chance. And you always give someone a chance. You ran away cause you were being kind. You gave them an opportunity to go and live out the rest of their lives, but they chose not to. That's on them, Doctor."

The Doctor draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a side hug. "This is why I keep you around, Rose Tyler."

"To have someone to snuggle up with?" She giggled as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Obviously. However, another reason is because you're you. And you always try to see the best in me."

"Always will," she whispered. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, Rose decided to voice a question that had been on her mind. "Doctor?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened to John?"

The Doctor stiffened is body momentarily, before relaxing and pulling Rose closer. "What do you mean?"

She closed her eyes briefly and was thankful that she didn't have to look at his face. "Is he... I mean... Is he dead? And you said in that video you made Martha and I that he was just a made up character. Was that true?"

"He's in here somewhere," he told her, tapping his temple. "I suppose he's not really just a made up character. Clearly some traits of mine passed over to him."

"Oh."

"Why do you ask?" the Doctor questioned.

"Just curious," she said, giving a shrug and trying to sound nonchalant. "I just... would feel bad is all. If he had died."

"He's not dead, Rose," he assured. Letting out a frustrated breath, the Doctor sat up and grabbed Rose's shoulder's so he could face her head on. "You know, right, Rose?"

She gave him a confused look. "That he's not dead? Well, yeah... You just told me."

"No, not about that. I mean, that you know? Please tell me you know..."

"Know what?" She gave a laugh, hoping it might help him relax and explain his most recent trail of thought.

"John Smith, is everything that I can't be. He was able to be a human. Be domestic on the slow path. He could act on feelings that I can't. But that doesn't mean I..." He let go of her shoulders and scrubbed his face.

It dawned on her what he meant. John Smith could be in love with her because he was human and that's what humans felt. But the Doctor couldn't and didn't. _Least, not with her, _her traitorous mind thought as an image Reinette flashed behind her eyes. But he did want her to know that he cared about her. In his own way. And she knew that. Didn't she, herself, even tell John that? She placed her hand on his cheek and said, "Yeah, I understand, Doctor."

But that's not what he asked! The Doctor went to tell her this but was interrupted by her standing up.

"Now I don't know about you, but I'm starving! I could really murder some chips." She held her hand out and helped him stand.

He sighed. Maybe they weren't ready for that conversation. Maybe they never would be. Plastering a smile on his face he told her, "Chips it is!"

* * *

The weeks passed steadily for the three time travellers. The Doctor and Rose took Martha to a few of their favorite planets, and the Doctor took both women to new planets as well. Growing up, Martha had never imagined having a life like this. Visiting different planets and time eras. She most certainly never thought she would be thrown in jail so often! And a thought that never crossed her mind was that she would actually enjoy getting thrown in jail. Well... some of the time anyway.

It was Rose who really amazed her. When ever they found themselves in a predicament, Martha always found herself watching Rose's reaction, not the Doctor's. If Rose seemed okay, then more often than not, everything else would be. But if Rose was panicked, Martha knew she probably should be too!

Then there was the Doctor, Martha would be lying if she didn't admit how attractive she found him. And she was pretty sure that the feelings she had for him were a bit more then a mere fancy. And how could she help herself? He was so mysterious. One minute he was like a bouncing child on a sugar high, the next he was like a kind and generous old man, and the next he was a dark, dangerous "bad boy." But no matter what she felt towards him, she knew she could never act. The man clearly had it bad for one Rose Tyler. Too bad they were both too thick to see it!

Martha quickly realised that the Doctor wasn't one to go back after one of their adventures. If she or Rose were ever curious about the fate of someone they had met, he would usually tell them and that was that. Unless Rose Tyler suggested otherwise, which was why the girls were dressed in some smart closed and the Doctor had a poppy pinned to his lapel. After finding out that Timothy Latimer had served in and survived the war, Rose quietly asked if they could perhaps go and see him. Show him their thanks for serving and all that. One flutter of her eyelashes and the Doctor was convinced. They had gone to a war memorial that Tim was being honored at, as an old man. They kept their distance. Didn't actually speak or anything. But he saw them. And he knew.

* * *

"That was lovely, Doctor," Rose told him as they entered the TARDIS. "Thank you."

He beamed back at her. "My pleasure. Now, where to next ladies?" he asked as he flipped the controls on the console. The ship began rocking as she set on a location and began rocking back and forth.

"Seems the TARDIS knows just the place!" Rose laughed.

One the ship landed with a thud Martha asked, "Where are we?"

He raised his eyebrows as he checked out the monitor. "Huh. Seems to be London. Around your time, I would say... Looks like an old abandoned house called Wester Drumlin."

"Old and abandoned? Sounds lovely. I'm gonna go change real quick!"

"Me too!" Rose chirped as she followed Martha out of the control room.

When they came back ten minutes later, the Doctor was trying to figure out the energy readings coming from the house. Clearly not human in origin, but it wasn't anything he could think of off the top of his head.

"Hey, Doctor? The chain for my TARDIS key broke. Do you have another?" Martha asked, holding up the object.

"Not on me no but here..." He dug around his pockets till he found some twine. "Use this for now, and when we're done here we can head over to Traxacon 3. That's where I got Rose's unbreakable chain."

Martha giggled as she strung her key on the twine. "Unbreakable chain? Sounds very Harry Potter."

* * *

"Tell me again why the TARDIS brought us here?" Rose asked as she stepped over a broken step in the old decrepit home.

"Weird energy readings," was the Doctor's response as he held the sonic out in front of him and continued up the stairs.

"Well now that we cleared that up," Martha said with an eye roll.

Once they reached the top of the stairs, the Doctor continued to look scan the various rooms. Bored with just following him, Martha entered the room closest to her, on her own.

When the Doctor realised what she was doing he shouted, "Martha don't!" But it was too late her scream was heard loud and clear. He raced into the room she had been occupying and found it completely empty, except for a stone angel, that had it's hands covering it's face.

"Where is she?" Rose asked as she looked around the room. "Martha!" she shouted but was met with silence. "Doctor what's wrong with you? We have to find her."

The Doctor was staring at the angel, he noticed that one of the hands seemed to be holding a key. "Rose," he said calmly but with the kind of seriousness that Rose knew meant business. "I want you to slowly turn and start looking at that angel. Do not even blink. Do you understand me?"

Rose obeyed his commands and then asked, "Doctor, why can't I blink."

"Blink and you're dead."

She gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, that reassuring. Oh my god. That statue is holding Martha's key."

"I know."

"Is she dead then?"

"Not necessarily. If I can get a hold of the key I can use it to track her. But we'll need to work together to get it. Grab my hand and only walk when I walk."

"I'm scared, Doctor," she admitted quietly as they slowly crept towards the angel.

"Honestly, me too. As well we should be." They were close to the statue now. Close enough to touch. "Now, whatever you do, Rose, do not touch the angel. That would be very bad. And do not blink."

Rose's heart was racing as she watched the Doctor slowly lift his hand to try and reach the key that was dangling in the angel's hand. The Doctor gave a frustrated growl when he realised that, with the angel covering it's face, the grip on the key was too tight. "What do we do now?" she asked nervously has a headache began to blossom in the back on her skull. _Thump Thump Thump Thump. _She winced and the Doctor turned his head to check on her. Both realised a second later the mistake they had made.

* * *

The Doctor opened his eyes and found himself lying on his back in a dirty alleyway. "Rose?" he asked aloud as he began to sit up.

"Oh my god! Doctor!" Suddenly his arms were full of Martha.

"Martha! Are you alright?"

"Yeah. but what the hell happened? One minute I was looking at this angel statue and the next I was here. I've been scared out of my mind. I tried calling Rose on my mobile but she didn't pick up."

"Rose!" He exclaimed jumping up. "Where is she? We were holding hands so we should have been transported together."

A groan, just a few steps away, answered his question.

"Doctor?"

He flew to her side and helped her slowly sit up from her sprawled position on the pavement. "Rose! I'm here. Are you alright?"

"I think so..." She blinked a few times. "I feel really weak though. Where are we? What happened?"

"Well to answer your second question, we were transported back in time by a Weeping Angel. Nasty buggers. I thought they were just a myth. Apparently I was wrong."

Martha laughed. "Whoa! Say that again!"

"So the statue was really an alien that can send people back in time?" Rose asked as she leaned her weight on the Doctor.

"Yep! That's the trick. The basic way of explaining is, when they're being looked at, they're stone. However, the second you stop looking at them they can move. And when they touch you they transport you back in time."

"Why?"

"To kill you kindly," he stated simply. "They drop you in the past and let you live out the rest of your life, while they live off the remaining energy you leave behind."

"When are we then?" Rose asked logically.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Hmmm. London, England. Late Spring I would say. Around 1969."

Martha began shifting her feet nervously. "What are we gonna do though? The TARDIS is still in present day London. And I think that angel has my TARDIS key."

"Well, you're right about your key and that is not good. If they were to somehow get in the TARDIS, that would be... well... bad."

A thought occurred to Rose as she griped the Doctor's arm. "Doctor, remember that couple we met a while back? That Sally girl told you we were going to be stuck in 1969 and we would need the file she gave you. Please tell me you have it!?"

His face lit up. "Oh top banana! Brilliant, Rose Tyler. Course I have it!" He pulled the purple file Sally had given him and quickly perused the contents. "Right then, first things first. We need to find a place for us to stay for the time being. Because, unfortunately, Sally's not sure about how long we're stuck. Good news is that eventually, she'll be able to get the TARDIS back to us!"

"But, Doctor, we don't have any money," Martha told him.

"Not for this time or planet anyways," Rose added.

He nodded is head and helped Rose stand up. "Well, for the moment, I can use the psychic paper and the sonic to get us the cash we need. But you two will have to find jobs."

"Excuse me!" Martha shrieked. "Why us two? You're perfectly capable."

"Of course I am! I'm more then qualified actually. But if you want to get out of here anytime soon then I have to get started on all these clues Sally gave me. There's a lot of work to be done."

"S' fine, Doctor." Rose sighed. "Guess it's time to introduce Martha to the wonderful world of working in a shop."

* * *

The three travellers found a park just down the road from where they "dropped in" and agreed to meet back there in four hours. The Doctor was off to find them a place to live, while Rose and Martha were going to see if they could find any places hiring. The two women stuck together at first, as they were hoping to find a place they could work at together, but so far no luck. They finally agreed to go there separate ways and meet back up at the entrance of the park.

* * *

Martha was exhausted. She had spent the four hours almost entirely on her feet. It had been tough finding a place to work at first, mostly because of her skin color, but eventually she found a cute little clothes shop, with a young open minded owner who agreed to hire her on the spot. Martha wasn't thrilled about having to work but was at least grateful that she had found something so quick. She hoped Rose had the same luck. If not, she was pretty sure her boss would give Rose a chance as well.

"Hello there, Martha," the Doctor greeted from his place on the bench as she walked closer. "I found us a lovely little flat! Well, I say lovely... Wait, where's Rose?"

"Not sure. We ended up going our separate ways. I'm sure she'll be here soon though," she added when she saw how deep his frown was.

An hour later and there was still no sign of her. Martha had tried Rose's mobile, but there was no answer. The sun was beginning to set and the Doctor was beyond worried as he paced in front of the park bench. "That's it! I'm going to go look for her. Stay here in case she comes back."

Two hours later and it was completely dark. The Doctor ran towards where Martha was still sitting on the bench. "She never came back?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. I've kept trying to call her, but there's still no answer."

"I've been all over the city and nothing. I couldn't even ask any of the shops if they've seen her cause most of them have closed for the night. And I've tried scanning for her with the sonic but it can't seem to pick up her bio signature. I don't know what's wrong with," he practically growled.

"We'll find her, Doctor."

"Of course we will."

However, despite searching the entire night, by morning, Rose was still missing.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Blink Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	24. Blink Part 2

**A/N: Many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed! Something to keep in mind for this chapter... There will be more insight into moments between the Doctor and Rose in 1969 in a later chapter. Just trust me. I hope you still like this!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Blink. Credit for those lines goes to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor was at a loss. It was now early the next morning and there had still been no sign of Rose. And Martha, bless her, was utterly exhausted. She stayed up with him all night searching the city from top to bottom. He couldn't stop searching, but he knew Martha needed rest. So, he led her back to the flat he had found the previous day.

"I'm fine, Doctor. Really," she protested as he opened the front door.

He shook his head at her as she followed him inside. "You're dead on your feet. You need rest."

Martha paused and looked around what she was expecting to be an empty flat, only to fine it fully furnished. "Wait. Where did all this come from?"

"It came plike this," he said vaguely as he sat down at the kitchen table and began working on the sonic screwdriver. He was trying to figure out why he couldn't pick up a trace on Rose.

Knowing she wasn't going to get a better answer out of him at the moment she said, "I'm gonna get some shut eye then. Wake me up if you leave, alright?"

He nodded his response.

Not even fifteen minutes later, Martha came bursting out of them room she had claimed as her's. "Doctor! We are so stupid!"

He looked up in surprise at his outburst. "What?"

"Completely thick we are. I mean, we're both doctors!" She tilted her head in thought. "Sort of."

"Martha, do you have a point or did you wake up purely to insult our intelligence?"

"The hospital! We should be checking the hospitals. If something happened to her that's where she would be! And it's not like she has any id on her if she was unconscious and even if she was awake, she obviously has no way of getting a hold of us, since she's not picking up her mobile."

"Must have left it in the TARDIS," he mused before popping out of his seat. "Martha Jones, you are a gem! Allons-y!"

* * *

Rose had been feeling horribly weak and dizzy ever since that Angel thing had transported them back into time. She had felt a little better when the Doctor was near, but then when it was just herself and Martha, the symptoms had returned, full force. And the job search was not going well. At all. The girls had thought that looking separately might make things easier, but as Rose was quickly discovering, it was not easy getting a job when you had nothing to your name. Not even a library card. And her modern clothes stuck out like sore thumb. Normally, Rose found it pretty easy to blend in, but perhaps with not feeling well, she wasn't carrying herself in the same way.

Then she finally found the lovely little flower shop, just down the road for where Henricks department store would one day be. The owner was a sweet little old lady, just looking for someone to help run the counter while she worked on various arrangements in the back. She took an instant liking to Rose and told her to come back the following Monday to start.

Rose had been thrilled as she, despite the lightheadedness that was overwhelming her, made her way out of the shop and down the street with a new spring in her step. As she passed a shop window, she could have sworn she saw the strangest looking...

The next thing she knew she was waking up in a white sterile looking room. A room that reminded her of when she was pretending to be a patient Royal Hope Hospital.

"Oh good! You're awake!" a kind looking, middle aged, woman greeted as she entered the room. "My name's Denise. I'm your nurse. Do you remember your name, sweetheart?"

"R-Rose. Rose Tyler," she replied before looking around the room frantically. "Where's the Doctor?"

"Don't worry, Rose. Dr. Morris will be here shortly," the nurse told her soothingly. "Now, what's the last thing you can remember?"

"I... uh.. I was walking down the street and I thought..."

"Thought what, dear?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't know."

"Well, it seems like you passed out and hit your head pretty hard on the sidewalk. I'm afraid you'll have a nasty bruise for quite awhile."

"Do you know when I can leave?" Rose asked anxiously.

"Oh, not until after you're examined again by the doctor. And even then, it might be a few days. You've been out of it for almost twenty hours."

"What?!" She tried sitting up but found herself being restrained by Denise. "But my friends will be worried sick!"

"Sssh. There, there. Is there anyone I can call for you?" the nurse said calmly.

"I... we just moved here... yesterday. We don't even have a place to live yet. I was out job hunting and we were supposed to meet back at this little park."

"I'm sure they'll find you soon-" Suddenly several voices in the hall cut her off.

"Sir, you can't just waltz in there! We're not even sure this is the woman you're looking for. And if it is only family is allowed to see her," a shrill female voice condemned.

"Look, see, I'm family," a voice Rose recognized as the Doctor said back. "I'm her husband. Dr. John Tyler. Says so right there! and this is her sister, Martha Tyler."

"Her sister. Really?" the female voice snarked.

"Ever heard of adoption?" Martha snapped.

Rose looked at Denise. "That's my husband and sister! Please let them in!"

"I thought you said you're friends would be looking for you?" Denise eyed her warily.

"What, you can't be friends with your family?"

The nurse simple sighed and opened the door. "Excuse me, but I think you'll find the woman you're looking for in here."

"Rose!" the Doctor shouted as he barreled into the room.

"What the bloody hell happened to you?" Martha practically growled as she followed him in the room.

Rose's reply came out a bit muffled since the Doctor was hugging her tightly. "Not really sure..."

Her nurse stepped forward. "She's been unconscious for several hours and just woke up. Her memory is bound to be a bit fuzzy."

With that admission, he popped up and told the nurse, "I want to speak to the doctor who has been treating her. Immediately." Seeing the determination on this man's face, Denise gave a hurried nod and rushed out of the room.

"I'm so sorry," Rose said to her companions.

Now that the euphoria of finding his lost Rose had settled, the Doctor felt completely drained. And angry. Angry at the stupid Weeping Angel for sending them into this mess in the first place. Angry that neither himself or Martha thought to check the hospital when Rose first went missing. Martha had not been exaggerating when she had referred to them both as, "stupid." Oddly enough, he knew that if Rose had been there, that would have been one of the first places she would have suggested checking. Then, of course, he was angry with Rose. She took being jeopardy friendly to new heights. Didn't she realise how much he needed her? Martha was brilliant, absolutely, and even if Rose hadn't already been a companion, he would have asked her to travel with him, but he didn't need her the same way he did Rose. This is who he was now. And almighty Time Lord, the last one in existence, who can't properly survive without a silly little twenty first century human girl. With all of this crashing down on him, the Doctor flopped himself in a nearby chair and stayed uncharacteristically quiet.

Thankfully, Martha was able to keep a somewhat level head and reverted into Dr. Jones. "What's the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

"Well, I found a job at a cute little flower shop and I had just left. I was walking down the street when I thought I saw something..." Rose paused and shook her head. "Then I woke up here. The nurse told me that I collapsed or something and hit my head on the sidewalk pretty hard. Is the bruise bad?"

Martha examined her head for a moment. "Eh, could have been worse. Judging by the bruising patterns though, I wouldn't say you hit the pavement _that_ hard." She stopped and shot a worried glance and the still silent Doctor. "We were worried sick about you. Spent the entire night combing the city for any trace of you."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

Rose looked over at the Doctor. His face was completely blank as his eyes remained focused on a water stain on the ceiling. "Doctor," she called. "Say something."

He closed his eyes momentarily before lowering his gaze to her's. "What do you want me to say, Rose?"

"Just talk to me."

He observed her openly for a moment. She looked at him with such faith and trust. Here she was, his precious girl, lying in a hospital bed, looking at him with such intensity and... dare he even think it... love. His mind went back to the conversation he had with Martha on the way to the hospital...

* * *

_"Doctor, can I ask you something?"_

_"Course," he answered as the ran down the stairs of their flat and exited the building._

_"When did you fall in love with Rose?" she asked him, trying her best to sound as innocent as possible._

_"What?!" He quickly halted his steps and practically ran head first into a large, heavy set man. "Oh, sorry," he mumbled to the gentleman as they continued walking._

_"When did you fall in love with Rose?"_

_"I'm not... We're not... Martha, where is this coming from?"_

_"Doctor, it's obvious," she said gently. "To everyone but you two, apparently." _

_He didn't answer right away and for a few minutes, Martha thought she had over stepped and he wouldn't. But, then she heard the sound of his sigh followed by, "10 Downing Street."_

_Martha blinked a few times, confused by his answer. "Excuse me?"_

_"We were stuck in 10 Downing Street. No way out. Except for one. The only problem was it would have killed her. And do you know what she said?" Martha shook her head. "She said, 'Do it.' That's it. No fuss. I hadn't even explained what I had planned. I could save the world but lose her. She had complete faith in me though. Of course, she was the one who ended up finding a way for us to survive. But still. I had known since I first met her that there was something different about her. Special. But it was there, in the rubble of 10 Downing Street, that I knew I was done for."_

_"Sounds very... you," Martha grinned._

_The Doctor granted her a small smile in return but then his face dropped. "I don't know what would happen to me if I lost her for good, Martha. And that scares me, because one day I will lose her."_

_"You're not the only person in the world afraid of that, Doctor. Lots of people are scared of losing their loved ones. And I know how hard it must be for you especially, but you have to ask yourself, is it worth the risk? Is it going to hurt more in the end if you had let yourself love her and let her love you in return?" She halted her steps and placed her hand on his arm. "Honestly, I think it might hurt worse."_

_The Doctor was saved from having to respond when he noticed that they were standing outside of the Royal Hope Hospital..._

* * *

The Doctor shook the conversation away and moved to stand next to Rose. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and waved to over Rose's head. "Just a minor concussion. There's no reason why they can't release you. I'll go see if I can track down that nurse who was supposed to be fetching your doctor."

"He's mad at me. Again." Rose stated simply after the Doctor had practically bolted out of the room.

"Maybe a bit. But you had him terrified, Rose. I had never seen him like that before," Martha told her openly.

Rose didn't know what to say, so instead, she turned on a bright smile and asked, "So all in all, how did your job hunt go?"

* * *

Rose was beyond frustrated. It had been three weeks since the Doctor had arranged for her to be released from the hospital. Except, she still felt like a patient. The Doctor had refused to let her go to work at the flower shop, claiming that Martha made enough to cover the necessitates and if they needed anything extra, he could make use of the sonic and the psychic paper. All because the day after she left the hospital, she may or may not have passed out again. The Doctor swears she was out for a good five minutes after collapsing, but Rose claimed she was only "resting her eyes." The Doctor didn't buy it and neither did Martha. Both insisted that Rose was clearly exhausted and over doing herself and needed to remain on bed rest. Bed rest! Like she was a bloody pregnant woman or something!

Being totally honest, yes, Rose did often find herself feeling weaker than usual, but she was so tired of doing nothing! She thought that perhaps if she forced herself to be productive she would regain her old energy. The Doctor disagreed. He said that the most likely reason for her symptoms was a result of what the Weeping Angel did to them. But Rose didn't understand why she was the only one feeling this way then.

And now the Doctor and Martha were going out without her! Mind you all they did was go for a walk around the block to test out the Doctor's "timey-wimey" detector. But still. She had missed when it malfunctioned around some chickens and they had to run for lives. Rose missed running for her life. And then yesterday, after she got off work, Martha went and had a lovely chat with Sally Sparrow's friend Kathy. Poor Kathy had been a victim of a Weeping Angel as well, only she was transported back to 1920. Everything worked out for her though. She married the first man she met there and ended up having a lovely family with him. Rose had been looking forward to meeting with the woman but the Doctor had vetoed her idea of leaving the flat, almost immediately.

Now it was 2:30 am. And the flat was completely empty. Why? She had no idea. Martha and the Doctor must have snuck out while she was sleeping. _Lovely, _Rose thought as she padded through the empty flat. _Just lovely. _She could believe that they just left! They left without saying a word! No note. No nothing! Once again the Doctor proved to her how replaceable she really was. Was this her future? Someday, if she lived long enough to become an old woman, she wouldn't be able to run anymore. What was going to happen to her? Will she just lie in bed all day, and hope that the Doctor remembers her long enough to stop in for a quick visit in between adventures?

_Stop! _Rose commanded herself. She couldn't think like that. True, the Doctor and Martha were doing things without her, but that didn't mean he hadn't been attentive to her during the day, while Martha was at work. He was by her side constantly catering to her every whim. The only problem was, he was avoiding having any serious conversations with her. And anytime she tried to flirt a little, something they did usually did on a regular basis, he would shut down completely.

Rose sunk down on the floor of the kitchen. She knew she should try to at least sit at the kitchen table, but the trek through the flat had exhausted her. Blimey. She really was an invalid. It was then that Rose heard the buzz of the sonic and the front door swing open.

"Can't just use a key like a normal person," Martha quietly chastised.

"Where's the fun in that?" the Doctor replied.

"Well I have to be up in just a few hours so I'm heading to bed."

"Night, Martha. Thanks for your help."

Martha hummed in response as she closed the door of her bedroom. Rose squinted as the kitchen light suddenly turned on. "Oi!" she squeaked.

"Rose? What are you doing down there? Are you alright?" the Doctor asked frantically as he bent down to see her better.

"I'm fine, Doctor. Was just a little tired."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you decided to rest on the kitchen floor?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Right. To bed, Miss Tyler."

Rose gasped as the Doctor suddenly swung her into his arms as he carried her to bed. "I'm tired of being in bed," she responded grumpily.

"I know. And I'm sorry."

"Stay with me?" she asked as he lowered her on the bed. "Please?" He didn't say anything. Just shrugged off his jacket and tie, followed by his trainers, and joined her in bed. She instinctively curled around him and asked, "Where were you?"

"Wester Drumlins," he answered as he began stroking her arm. "Had to leave a message for Sally."

"Wish I could have gone."

"I wish you were there too. It's just not the same without you by my side."

Rose popped her head up in surprise. "Really?"

"Well, yes. What, you thought I've enjoyed having to go out without you? Rose, I've been miserable."

"But you had Martha..."

"Yes. And I'm grateful. Martha is truly wonderful, but she's not you."

"Oh."

"That's all you have to say?" the Doctor asked suspiciously.

"I've been miserable without you too."

"Oh."

Rose giggled. "Is that all you have to say?"

"No."

"Then out wit-" she was cut off by the Doctor's lips against her's. For a brief moment she was too surprised to kiss him back. Thankfully, she was quickly able to catch up and join in right as his tongue traced her bottom lip, asking her permission to enter. Rose granted him access with a sigh as he languidly began to explore. He reluctantly broke away a few moments later when her need for breath became apparent.

Rose stared at him in shock before her face broke out into a huge grin. "That was new."

He grinned in response but soon turned serious. "There's so much we need to talk about, Rose..."

"Hey, we have time. Let's just take everyday as it comes. Yeah?"

Before he could agree her body betrayed her as a yawn escaped her lips. "Sleep now, Rose," he told her. "Tomorrow, we're going on an adventure and I'm not leaving you behind."

* * *

"So where are we off to?" Rose asked excitedly once Martha made it home from work later that day.

"We're going to use the timey-wimey detector to find our soon to be friend Billy," the Doctor told her as he helped her stand to her feet. "Are you sure you're up for this?"

"Yep! I may have to take it a little slow at times but I'm done with just sitting in this place."

* * *

They had been walking at a steady pace, for Rose's sake, for about thirty minutes before the detector went off. "This way!" the Doctor exclaimed excitedly as they made their way towards the same alley they had appeared in a few weeks prior. They arrived just in time to see a man, who seemed to be in his early thirties, slide down the wall. "Welcome!" he greeted.

Billy rubbed his head and asked, "Where am I?"

"1969," the Doctor answered. "Not bad, as it goes. You've got the moon landing to look forward to."

Martha smiled. "Oh, the moon landing's brilliant. These two took me to see it four times, back when we had transport."

"Working on it."

He stared at them in confusion as Rose moved to sit down next to him. "How did I get here?" he asked her.

"Same way as us," she told him kindly. "The touch of a Weeping Angel. I'm guessing it was the same one that got us since it's the same year and all."

Billy couldn't process what she was saying and tried to get up. Seeing what he was about to do, the Doctor moved to sit on the other side of him. "No, no. No, no, no, don't get up. Time travel without a capsule. Nasty. Catch your breath. Don't go swimming for half an hour. Ask Rose. She's been ill for weeks now."

"I don't... I can't..."

The Doctor paid no mind to Billy's distress and continued his lecture. "Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels. The only psychopaths in the universe to kill you nicely. No mess, no fuss, they just zap you into the past and let you live to death. The rest of your life used up and blown away in the blink of an eye. You die in the past, and in the present they consume the energy of all the days you might have had. All your stolen moments. They're creatures of the abstract. They live off potential energy."

"What in God's name are you talking about?" Billy question when he stopped talking.

"Trust me. Just nod when he stops for breath," Martha informed him.

The Doctor held up his newest contraption. "Tracked you down with this. This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes ding when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at thirty paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow."

Rose gave a weak laugh. "I can't believe I missed that!"

"Be glad you did!" Martha told her.

Billy shook his head at these odd strangers. "I don't understand. Where am I?"

"1969, like he says," Martha told him with sympathy.

"Normally, I'd offer you a lift home, but somebody nicked my motor. So I need you to take a message to Sally Sparrow. And I'm sorry, Billy. I am very, very sorry. It's going to take you a while."

* * *

Oddly enough, once Billy was able to get his wits about him, he excepted everything marvelously. He was a bit miffed at first that he would never get to see his friends again, but took a small comfort in the fact that he really had no family left to miss him. He moved into the flat, taking up the room that had originally been the Doctor's. But seeing as they Time Lord rarely slept, it was a bit pointless for him to have one of his own. Besides, more often then night, he found himself in Rose's room at night. Not that anything was happening, mind, except for some lovely snogging, but he was determined to take this slow with his beloved companion. He couldn't rush into things. He wanted her to be fully aware of who he was and what a big decision like that would mean for them.

It was two weeks later, that the Doctor was finally able to cobble together a futuristic looking video recorder. Billy was going to record his message to leave on various dvds, for Sally Sparrow.

"I'm a time traveller. Or I was. I'm stuck in 1969," the Doctor said into the camera.

Martha popped her head in, "We're stuck. All of space and time, he promised me. Now I've got a job in a shop. I've got to support him! And Rose for that matter!"

Rose popped in to view on the other side, "It's not my fault I've been ill. Besides, I wanted to work. It was you two that told me I needed to be on bed rest!"

"Oi!" the Doctor pretended to snap as both girls moved away and began giggling. He continued his one way conversation, giving Rose chills when he came to the end of the one way conversation, "And that's it, I'm afraid. There's no more from you on the transcript, that's the last I've got. I don't know what stopped you talking, but I can guess. They're coming. The angels are coming for you. But listen, your life could depend on this. Don't blink. Don't even blink. Blink and you're dead. They are fast. Faster than you can believe. Don't turn your back, don't look away, and don't blink. Good luck."

Billy shut off the recorder. "Well, that's that."

Rose pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you, Billy."

"It's been an honour meeting you three," he told them honestly as a whooshing sound filled their flat.

Martha turned to the Doctor. "Is that?..."

"Yes!" Rose shouted as the TARDIS began to materialise around them.

Not even five seconds later and they were home. Rose threw her arms around the Doctor's neck and kissed him. "It's good to be back," she whispered against his lips.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Utopia.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	25. Utopia Part 1

**A/N: So sorry for the wait. Life. Bleh. As always, thank you to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed! And now on with the show... I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Utopia. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

There was a part of the Doctor that couldn't remember the last time he was so at ease. Sally Sparrow had done her job, brilliantly he might add, and returned the TARDIS to him. While being stuck in 1969 had not been the greatest of adventures, it was where he decided to be more open with his feelings for Rose. He had shared more with her there, in that tiny flat in 1969, than he had in the few years they had been travelling together. It felt right. And if things kept progressing they way they were, he was almost certain about the next step he would take with Rose.

He knew, deep in his hearts, that he wanted to be with Rose Tyler. In every way. He wanted to bond with her. Call her his wife. But they weren't _quite_ ready for that. There was more he needed to share. While he may have started opening up about his past to her in 1969, there was still so much that he had left unspoken and Rose deserved to have all the cards out on the table before she agreed to really truly spend the rest of her life with _him._ If she agreed, he knew it would be difficult. He would lose her so much sooner than he would someone closer to his own life span. And when she died someday, a part of him would die with her. But wouldn't that be the case either way? No matter where their relationship went, losing Rose Tyler would be the most painful thing he had experienced since the Time War. Maybe even more painful.

Of course, for the moment, Rose Tyler was perfectly healthy. As soon as his beloved ship had returned, and their celebratory snog was over, the Doctor had insisted that he scan her with the TARDIS's advanced medical equipment to see what had been wrong with her. Rose insisted she felt fine. "More than fine actually," she had claimed. But the Doctor wouldn't listen. Something had happened. Something that made even scanning for her with the sonic screwdriver nearly impossible. And what did he find on Rose's results? Nothing. She was the perfect image of a healthy human being. And that _bothered_ him. That was the reason that, despite a part of him feeling completely at ease, a large part felt completely uneasy. He knew Rose Tyler better than anyone left on this universe's Earth and he knew that something had been wrong.

And now, on top of all those worries, the TARDIS was acting up. Deciding that all She needed was a top off at the Rift, the Doctor set the controls for Earth.

Having felt the TARDIS in flight, Rose and Martha sprinted out of the kitchen, where they had been finishing their morning tea, and went to see where they were headed next.

"Cardiff," the Doctor answered when Rose had voiced her question about their destination.

"Cardiff?" Martha echoed.

Rose giggled. "Oh, Cardiff. Feels like it's been ages since we've been there!"

The Doctor shot her a wink and explained their location to Martha as the ship landed and he began opening up Her engines. "The thing about Cardiff, it's built on a rift in time and space, just like California and the San Andreas Fault, but the rift bleeds energy. Every now and then I need to open up the engines, soak up the energy and use it as fuel."

"So it's a pit stop," Martha stated with a smile.

He beamed proudly at her. "Exactly. Should only take twenty seconds. The rift's been active."

"Twenty seconds?" Rose asked. "That's a lot quicker than the last time we were here."

"Wait a minute," Martha rounded the console. "They had an earthquake in Cardiff a couple of years ago."

"Did they?" Rose said trying to look nonchalant.

"Was that you?"

"Bit of trouble with the Slitheen. A long time ago. Lifetimes," the Doctor looked across at Rose. Oh how times had changed between them since then. "I was a different man back then."

Rose looked to Martha with wide eyes. "And he means that literally. Different looking anyway." She looked back to the Doctor and said, "Inside he's the same man. Always."

He gave her a nod before looking back to the console. "Finito. All powered up." He turned to check the monitor one final time and saw something that sent dread to the pit of his stomach. He quickly shut the screen off so Rose wouldn't see and set the TARDIS to dematerialise.

For a brief moment, Rose could have sworn she saw a flicker of concern cross the Doctor's face as he stared at the monitor, but then, of course, he replaced it with his manic grin. That was fine. Perhaps she could ask him later, after Martha had gone to bed and they were curled up together in the library. He had been so much more open with her recently. For now, she would shrug it off and enjoy wherever the Doctor decided to take them next.

But then the TARDIS screamed.

* * *

The Doctor knew he needed to be completely honest with Rose about Jack. But he wasn't ready. Things were so good and telling her would spoil that. No. For now he would take Rose and Martha to Sirculum. It was a pleasant little planet that held the most fantastic carnival every year. _The girls will love it_, he thought to himself.

But then Rose screamed. And something on the console exploded causing all three travellers to fall back onto the grating.

"Whoa! What's that?" Martha asked, using the jump seat to pull herself upright.

Rose stayed curled up on the ground, clutching her head.

The Doctor pulled himself up as well, just as a shower of sparks rained down on him. He stared at the monitor in horror. "We're accelerating into the future. The year one billion. Five billion. Five trillion. Fifty trillion? What? The year one hundred trillion? That's impossible." He looked down at his blonde companion and shouted, "Rose, are you alright?"

Hearing his concern, Rose was able to pull herself up next to Martha. She looked shaken as she laid her hands on the console and said quietly, "Fine."

"You said the year one hundred trillion was impossible. Why?" Martha asked.

The Doctor checked the monitor one more time before turning back to his companions in fear. "We're going to the end of the universe."

The TARDIS landed rather smoothly, considering how unsettling her flight had been. They all three remained silent for a moment before the Doctor broke the peace saying, "Well, we've landed."

"So what's out there?" Martha asked.

"I don't know."

"Say that again. That's rare."

"Not even the Time Lords came this far. We should leave. We should go. We should really, really go..." He gave both women a grin before bounding off for the door. Only stopping when he realised that Rose hadn't followed himself and Martha. "Rose? Aren't you coming?" Not giving her a chance to answer he continued with, "What happened before? You were screaming. Did you get hurt."

"I'm alright," she responded hoarsely before clearly her throat. "Really. You go ahead. I'll be out in a few. I just need a moment alone."

He didn't want to leave her when she had clearly been distressed about something, but he could tell by the look on her face that arguing would be pointless. "We'll wait for you right outside the door," he told her.

Once they were out the doors, Rose turned to look around the control room. "Alright, something's wrong," she said aloud. "Something's got you upset. I can feel that." She felt a warm, worrying, hum as she laid her hand back on the console. "Hey now, it'll be okay. We've got the Doctor and he's always taken care of us, right? So I'll go out there and check on him. Then we'll be back and out of here before you know it." She gave a final pat to Her coral before following out the door.

* * *

The sound of the next voice Rose heard took her breath away.

"Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

"Martha Jones."

"Nice to meet you, Martha Jones."

Rose was standing behind the Doctor and could see how tense he was as he said, "Oh, don't start."

"I was only saying hello."

Feeling completely elated, Rose stepped into sight and said, "That's all you need, Captain. In fact, I remember I got dancing and champagne after you said hello to me. So what's Martha going to get?"

And then suddenly she was in his arms. Captain Jack Harkness was holding her close and swinging her round in circles. "Rose Tyler, I missed you," he whispered in her ear. And before she could respond, he was dipping her low and kissing her right on the lips.

Martha watched the two in shock. She knew that things were developing between the Doctor and Rose, but seeing the woman in question, being kissed by another man, another man who was obviously familiar with Rose and the Doctor both, confused her to know end. She peaked at the Doctor and saw the he was taking slow, controlled, breaths.

After a few seconds the Time Lord cleared his throat.

Jack put Rose down and turned to face him head on. "Doctor."

"Captain."

"Good to see you."

"And you. Same as ever. Although, have you had work done?"

Jack looked outraged. "You can talk!"

The Doctor looked confused before figuring out what he meant. "Oh yes, the face. Regeneration. How did you know this was me?"

"The blonde and the police box kind of gives it away. I've been following you for a long time. You abandoned me."

"Did I? Busy life. Moving on."

Rose's heart began pounding. No they didn't _abandon _him. No way. Jack had a job to do. He had to rebuild the Earth... That's what the Doctor told her. So why was he being so cold towards Jack. And what made the Captain think they had just up and left him. Didn't he understand? Rose was always under the impression that he knew the job he had to do. That perhaps the Doctor had told him so before he took her away from Satellite 5 and that he knew that they couldn't be a part of his life at that moment. The Doctor had told her that Jack's timelines were complicated and to trust him. She did. She always did. But maybe she was wrong.

Sensing her distress Jack turned and ran his hand down her cheek. "Just got to ask. The Battle of Canary Wharf. I saw the list of the dead. It had your mum and Mickey's names on it."

Rose's breath hitched as she answered, "They're not really dead. They're living in a parallel world. Safe and sound."

He pulled her in for another hug. "That's great, sweetheart! You must miss them terribly though."

"I do," she answered truthfully as she pulled out of him embrace. "I've missed you too, though."

He gave her a sad smile before turning to look at the Doctor. "So where are we?"

"End of the universe it would seem. That's all we know," he answered.

Rose tugged Jack's arm. "Wait. How do you now know. How did you get here?"

"Let's walk and talk."

* * *

As they began exploring the immediate area, Jack started his explanation with how he met Rose and the Doctor so Martha would feel included. "So there I was, stranded in the year two hundred one hundred, ankle deep in Dalek dust, and he goes off without me."

Rose stopped in her tracks and faced the Doctor. "You just left him? Without so much as a goodbye?"

The Time Lord took a deep breath. "I..I had to..."

"No you didn't," she answered for him, having never felt so disappointed in him. She moved from his side and stepped back to stand next to her old friend.

"Don't worry, Rose. I had this." He pointed to the strap on his wrist and told Martha, "I used to be a Time Agent. It's called a vortex manipulator. He's not the only one who can time travel."

"Oh, excuse me," the Doctor stated, looking back at him. "That is not time travel. It's like, I've got a sports car and you've got a space hopper."

Martha gave a chuckle. "Oh ho. Boys and their toys."

Rose rolled her eyes and said, "They've always been like this."

"All right, so I bounced," Jack gave in. "I thought twenty first century, the best place to find the Doctor, except that I got it a little wrong. Arrived in 1869, this thing burnt out, so it was useless."

"Told you," the Doctor preened quietly.

"I had to live through the entire twentieth century waiting for a version of you that would coincide with me."

"But that makes you more than one hundred years old," Martha told him.

"And looking good, don't you think?"

Rose looped her arm in his. "Jack, how is that possible?"

"Good genes," he informed her with a wink before continuing with his story. "So I went to the time rift, based myself there because I knew you'd come back to refuel. Until finally I get a signal on this," he pointed to the bag strapped to his back, "detecting you and here we are."

"So you were in Cardiff? Oh my god."

Martha began to feel uneasy. She knew she couldn't stay with the Doctor and Rose for the rest of her life, but she always thought she would be welcome to stay for as long as she wanted. Now she wasn't so sure. "But the thing is, how come you left him behind, Doctor?" she questioned.

The Doctor continued to stare straight ahead as he answered, "I was busy."

Rose snorted as memories of his regeneration and how terrible things went after ran through her mind. "Is that what you're calling it?" she said almost bitterly. She loved her Doctor dearly, but at the moment he was _not _in her good graces.

"Is that what happens, though, seriously?" Martha continued. "Do you just get bored with us one day and disappear?"

Jack nudged Rose. "Not if you're blonde."

Martha threw her hands in the air. "No surprise there."

"Hey! That's not fair," Rose told them with a pout.

The Doctor stopped and turned to face them. "You three! We're at the end of the universe, all right? Right at the edge of knowledge itself and you're busy... blogging!" He stalked past them with a quiet, "Come on."

* * *

The Doctor was feeling horrible. He knew Rose was upset and he wasn't sure how to fix things. The need to run was almost unbearable. But he couldn't run from her. Not anymore. When they got back to the TARDIS he would sit down with her and explain everything. Then he would accept whatever happens after. He hoped with all his might that she would be able to forgive him.

They reached the edge of a cliff and saw the remains of some sort of city. When Martha asked for confirmation the Doctor responded, "A city or a hive, or a nest, or a conglomeration. Like it was grown. But look, there. That's like pathways, roads? Must have been some sort of life, long ago."

"What killed it?" she asked.

"Time. Just time. Everything's dying now. All the great civilizations have gone. This isn't just night. All the stars have burned up and faded away into nothing."

Jack looked around and said, "They must have an atmospheric shell. We should be frozen to death."

"Well, Martha, Rose, and I, maybe. Not so sure about you, Jack."

The two men shared a knowing look that Rose was just about to question when Martha spoke up, "What about the people? Does no one survive?"

The Doctor told her, "I suppose we have to hope life will find a way."

Rose was staring at something in the distance and when Jack realised what it was he pointed and said, "Well, he's not doing too bad."

A lone man went dashing by as a group of what looked like villagers followed in his wake. The Doctor focused on the scene before him. "Is it me, or does that look like a hunt? Come on!" He took off running and was quickly followed by the other three.

* * *

Jack looked to Rose and started laughing as they sprinted towards the man. "Oh, I've missed this!" When they met up with the runner, Jack grabbed him and pushed him towards the Doctor. "I've got you," he said to him before raising his gun at the angry mob.

"Jack, don't you dare!" the Doctor shouted when he saw what the Captain was about to do. Jack considered his options for a moment before raising his weapon in the air and firing three quick shots.

"What the hell are they?" Martha screamed when she saw the caveman like appearance of the tribe that had been chasing the man.

"There's more of them. We've got to keep going," the man in question said frantically.

"I've got a ship nearby. It's safe. It's not far, it's over there." The Doctor looked and was disappointed to see another angry mob racing from the direction of the TARDIS. "Or maybe not."

"We're close to the silo. If we get to the silo, then we're safe."

"Silo?"

"Silo," Jack repeated.

Martha agreed saying, "Silo for me."

"Come on then!" Rose shouted.

* * *

They ran for a short distance until they came upon a gate. "It's the Futurekind! Open the gate!" the man yelled as they got closer.

"Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth! Show me your teeth!" the guard shouted at them with his gun raised.

"Show him your teeth."

They all opened their mouths to show their in incisors. "Human! Let them in! Let them in!" the guard shouted as they quickly let the five of them in. "Close! Close! Close!" he shouted when they we're in the gate's protection. He then began firing his gun at the mob's feet.

"Humans. Humani. Make feast," one of the strange looking tribesman stated.

"Go back to where you came from. I said, go back. Back!"

"Oh, don't tell him to put his gun down," Jack said when the guard had his weapon raised.

"He's not my responsibility," the Doctor answered.

"And I am?" He gave a short laugh. "Huh, that makes a change."

The tribesman seemed to look right at Rose and said, "Kind watch you. Kind hungry." Jack took a small step so he was in front of her and Martha saw a look of jealousy flash in the Doctor's eyes.

The tribe began backing away as the guards finished shutting the gate. "Thanks for that," the Doctor said to them.

"Right. Let's get you inside," one of the man answered.

The man they had helped from the tribe ran forward. "My name is Padra Toc Shafe Cane. Tell me. Just tell me, can you take me to Utopia?"

The guard stopped and smiled. "Oh yes, sir. Yes, I can."

* * *

Once inside, they were greeted by one of the men in charge who introduced himself as Atillo. As soon as introductions were made the Doctor went tried to figure out a way to get back to the TARDIS. "It looks like a box, a big blue box. I'm sorry, but I really need it back. It's stuck out there."

Padra, the man they had literally ran into outside, started to speak over him with, "I'm sorry, but my family were heading for the silo. Did they get here? My mother is Kistane Shafe Cane. My brother's name is Beltone."

"The computers are down but you can check the paperwork," Atillo said kindly. "Creet! Passenger needs help."

A small boy with messy blonde hair popped up from around the corner. "Right. What do you need?" he said efficiently while holding a clipboard.

As Padra spoke with the boy, Atillo directed his attention back to the Doctor saying, "A blue box, you said?"

"Big, tall, wooden. Says Police," the Doctor confirmed.

"We're driving out for the last water collection. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you."

"Come on!" Creet directed towards the group.

Martha and Rose shared a surprised look at how mature the boy was acting. The former of the two girls asked, "Sorry, but how old are you?"

"Old enough to work," he responded before directing them forwards. "This way."

* * *

As they went on in the corridors Creet and Padra began calling out for Padra's family. The Doctor, Jack, Rose, and Martha weren't paying them much attention though. They were more focused on the people who were packed tightly against the walls. Most dressed in rags and looking half starved. Despite her anger with him, Rose reached forward and grabbed the Doctor's hand, needing to borrow some of his strength at the sight.

"It's like a refugee camp," Martha stated.

"Stinking!" Jack proclaimed causing a big, burly man to look at him in anger. "Oh, sorry. No offence. Not you."

The Doctor turned to smile at them. "Don't you see that? The ripe old smell of humans. You survived. Oh, you might have spent a million years evolving into clouds of gas, and another million as downloads, but you always revert to the same basic shape. The fundamental humans. End of the universe and here you are. Indomitable!" He squeezed Rose's hand. "That's the word. Indomitable! Ha!"

They were all thrilled when a moment later Padra was reunited with both his mother and brother. "It's not all bad news!" Martha said cheerfully.

Rose let go of the Doctor's hand as he began fiddling with a key pad on the side of a closed door. She moved closer to Jack and watched as the family embraced. Suddenly a handsome young man stood up and eyed the man on her left.

Jack stuck out his hand and said, "Captain Jack Harkness. And who are you?"

Rose couldn't control her giggles as the Doctor scolded Jack. "Stop it. Give us a hand with this. It's half deadlocked. I need you to overwrite the code. Let's find out where we are." Together they were able to get the door open. Unfortunately, the Doctor was leaning against said door and almost tumbled into the large silo containing a massive rocket.

Jack pulled the Doctor back just in time. "Gotcha."

"Thanks."

"How did you cope without me?"

"Well, there were a lot less stories about people ending up naked," Rose answered as she and Martha peered around the boys to see inside.

"Now that is what I call a rocket!" the other girl exclaimed.

The Doctor stared at the large vessel in front of him. "They're not refugees, they're passengers."

Rose looked at him in confusion. "But you said this is the end of the universe. Where are they planning on going?"

"He said they were going to Utopia," Martha muttered.

"The perfect place. Hundred trillion years, it's the same old dream. You recognise those engines?" the Doctor asked Jack.

Jack shook his head. "Nope. Whatever it is, it's not rocket science. But it's hot, though."

"Boiling," he confirmed before stepping back and shutting the door. "But if the universe is falling apart, what does Utopia mean?"

Suddenly, a older man who, reminded Rose of her grandfather, ran forward and looked at the Captain. "The Doctor?"

Jack pointed at the Time Lord who said, "That's me."

The older man grabbed the Doctor's hand and began racing away while repeating the word, "good!" over and over again.

The Doctor followed along willingly as he looked back at his companions. "It's good apparently."

Jack flung his arm around Rose's shoulder as he said, "Some things never change. The Doctor is like a magnate for people who need him."

Rose shared a laugh with him but stopped short when a pounding headache began to creep up on her once more. _Bum Bum Bum Bum._

* * *

The older man led them into a large, hodge podge looking laboratory and they were quickly greeted by a pleasant female looking blue alien with bug like features. "Chan welcome tho," she said to them.

The man walked right past her as he immediately took the Doctor to a piece of equipment. "Now, this is the gravitissimal accelerator. It's past its best but it works. And over here is the footprint impellor system. Now, do you know anything about endtime gravity"

Not wanting to be rude, Rose stuck her hand out to the alien woman and introduced herself, "I'm Rose."

Following her lead, Martha said, "Hello. I'm Martha. Who are you?"

"Chan Chantho tho," she responded.

"But we can't get it to harmonise," the old man said behind them.

Jack put on his most charming smile and turned to Chantho. "Captain Jack Harkness."

"Stop it!" the Doctor commanded immediately.

"Can't I say hello to anyone?" he asked like a petulant child.

Chantho looked at the Captain shyly and said, "Chan I do not protest tho."

"None of us do," Rose whispered conspiratorially to Martha.

"Maybe later, Blue," Jack told her with a wink before directing his attention back to the Doctor and his new friend. "So, what have we got here?"

"Did he just hit on a blue alien?" Martha asked Rose quietly.

"Yep!" the blonde confirmed. "Jack's a bit more footloose and fancy free than most men."

"Seriously?"

"Fifty first century man," Rose told her with a shrug before going to see what the man needed the Doctor for.

She walked over and heard him saying, "Except without a stable footprint, you see, we're unable to achieve escape velocity. If only we could harmonise the five impact patterns and unify them, well, we might yet make it. What do you think, Doctor? Any ideas?"

The Doctor had his glasses on and inspected the equipment around him. "Well, er, basically, sort of, not a clue."

"Nothing?"

"I'm not from around these parts. I've never seen a system like it. Sorry."

"No, no. I'm sorry. It's my fault. There's been so little help."

Feeling bad for the man, Rose stepped forward and placed her hand on his arm. "It seems to me like you've done a fantastic job with what you've been given," she told him genuinely, despite not understanding what he was actually working on. "I'm Rose, by the way."

He patted her hand and said, "Thank you, my dear girl. I'm Professor Yana."

"Oh, my god!" Martha's voice rang through the lab. The all moved to the corner she was in, near Jack's pack, and saw her holding a transparent container containing a hand. "You've got a hand? A hand in a jar. A hand in a jar in your bag."

"But that.. that... that's my hand." The Doctor sat down and examined the jar.

"I said I had a Doctor detector," Jack said defensively.

Chantho looked at the group and asked, "Chan is this a tradition amongst your people tho?"

"Not on my street. What do you mean, that's your hand? You've got both your hands, I can see them," Martha said frantically.

"Long story," the he told her. "I lost my hand Christmas Day, in a sword fight."

Memories of her new new Doctor sword fighting in his jimjams on top the Sycorax ship swirled through Rose's head. "It's true," she told Martha. "I was there."

Martha looked between the two like that had gone mad. "What? And you grew another hand?"

"Er, yeah, yeah, I did. Yeah. Hello." The Doctor held his hand up and waved.

"It's a fighting hand," Rose informed her with a perfectly serious face.

Professor Yana observed the man in front of him. "Might I ask, what species are you?"

"Time Lord, last of. Heard of them?" he asked but both Yana and Chantho remained silent. "Legend or anything? Not even a myth? Blimey, end of the universe is a bit humbling."

"Chan it is said that I am the last of my species too tho," Chantho informed.

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," the professor introduced proudly. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge."

The Doctor leaned forward. "The city outside, that was your's?"

She nodded. "Chan the conglomeration died tho."

"Conglomeration! That's what I said."

Rose cleared her throat as Jack told him, "You're supposed to say sorry."

"Oh, yes. Sorry."

"I'm sorry as well," Rose said to her.

"Chan most grateful tho."

Martha was still staring at Jack's Doctor detector. "You grew another hand?"

"Hello, again." The Doctor waved. "It's fine. Look, really, it's me." He stood and shook her hand.

Martha clutched his "new" hand tightly and gave a small giggle. "All this time and you're still full of surprises."

The Doctor gave her an elaborate wink as Chantho said, "Chan you are most unusual tho."

"You've got that right, Chantho!" Rose confirmed.

"So what about those things outside? The Beastie Boys. What are they?" Jack asked, moving the conversation along.

"We call them the Futurekind," Yana answered, "which is a myth in itself, but it's feared they are what we will become, unless we reach Utopia."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "And Utopia is...?"

"Oh, every human knows of Utopia," he scoffed. "Where have you been?"

"Bit of a hermit."

Yana looked at Jack and the two women. "A hermit with friends?"

"Hermits United. We meet up every ten years and swap stories about caves. It's good fun, for a hermit. So, um, Utopia?"

Yana beckoned them forward as Rose nudged the Doctor's shoulder. "Hermits United?" She rolled her eyes. "Honestly."

* * *

"The call came from across the stars, over and over again. Come to Utopia. Originating from that point," Professor Yana said as he showed them the navigation field.

"Where is that?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, it's far beyond the Condensate Wilderness, out towards the Wildlands and the Dark Matter reefs, calling us in. The last of the humans scattered across the night."

"What do you think's out there?"

"We can't know. A colony, a city, some sort of haven? The Science Foundation created the Utopia Project thousands of years ago to preserve mankind, to find a way of surviving beyond the collapse of reality itself. Now perhaps they found it. Perhaps not. But it's worth a look, don't you think?"

"Oh, yes." The Doctor grinned proudly.

Rose knew he was still talking but couldn't focus on his words. The pounding in her head was getting louder and louder. _Bum Bum Bum Bum. _She only opened her eyes when she heard Jack calling her name and the Doctor calling out, "Professor?"

"Hey there. You okay?" Jack whispered.

"Course," Rose told him as she gave a small smile.

The old man blinked a few times before saying, "Right, that's enough talk. There's work to do. Now if you could leave, thank you."

"You all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. And busy."

"Except that rocket's not going to fly, is it? This footprint mechanism thing, it's not working."

"We'll find a way!" Yana declared.

"You're stuck on this planet," the Doctor told him. "And you haven't told them, have you? That lot out there, they still think they're going to fly."

He sat down with an air of dejection. "Well, it's better to let them live in hope."

"Quite right, too. And I must say, Professor Yana." The Doctor took off his coat and threw it to Jack. "This new science is well beyond me, but all the same, a boost reversal circuit, in any time frame, must be a circuit which reverses the boost. So, I wonder, what would happen if I did this?" He took a cable box out of Yana's hands and and quickly pointed the sonic screwdriver at it. Suddenly the power turned on and an alarm blared.

Chantho looked around in wonder. "Chan it's working tho!"

The Professor stood and asked, "But how did you do that?"

"Oh, we've been chatting away, I forgot to tell you. I'm brilliant!" The Doctor grinned in delight.

Rose was thrilled that the Doctor had been able to help, there had been no doubt in her mind that he would figure something out. But something wasn't sitting right. Something in the deep part of her mind was telling her to run away. Something was calling out to her in fear. It was terrified.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Utopia Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	26. Utopia Part 2

**A/N:Thank you to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed! I hope you like Utopia Part 2 :)**

**Disclaimer: I do now own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Utopia. Credit for those lines belong to their writers.***

* * *

Everything was a bit frantic. The Doctor and Jack were working with Professor Yana on the equipment that would send the rocket off to Utopia, while Martha and Rose helped Chantho with some of the smaller details. The group worked in such synchronized harmony, one might think they had all been team for years. Seeing the Doctor and Jack work in such unison, brought a smile to Rose's face, until she remembered what the Doctor had done to the Captain.

With a sigh, Rose followed Martha and Chantho out into the corridor to pick up some hardware from one of the tech guys who would be on board the rocket. It was there that they ran into the little boy they had met upon arrival.

"Hey, what was your name?" Martha greeted before remembering. "Creet."

"That's right, miss," he told her cheerfully.

"Who are you with, Creet? You got family?"

"No, miss. There's just me."

Rose bent down to his eye level. "Is there anyone to take care of you?"

"Atillo looks after me," Creet confirmed.

"Well, good luck. What do you think it's going to be like in Utopia?" Martha asked.

His eyes lit up. "My mum used to say the skies are made of diamonds!"

"Good for her. Go on, off you go. Get your seat."

The little boy quickly joined the gathering crowd headed towards the rocket. Rose followed Martha and Chantho back towards the laboratory, but felt dread in leaving the young boy. She was sure there were plenty of people headed to Utopia that would watch out for Creet, but she couldn't help but feel like the little boy was headed towards most certain disaster. Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of such maudlin thoughts. _He'll be fine, _she chanted to herself.

* * *

Once they were back in the lab Rose and Martha were pleased to see the TARDIS had been delivered safe and sound.

"Oh, am I glad to see that thing!" Martha proclaimed before Jack ordered to connect some circuits for him.

Rose couldn't take her eyes off the blue box she called her home. Something felt off. "Doctor? Is everything alright with the TARDIS?"

He looked over at her in surprise. "Course. Well, she's a bit tired from the trip we had here but other than that she's fine. Why do you ask?"

Feeling a bit silly, obviously the Time Lord knew the old girl better than she did, Rose said, "No reason. Just making sure."

* * *

Having both noticed Chantho worrying over the Professor, Rose and the Doctor knelt down next to the older man. "You don't have to keep working. We can handle it."

"It's just a headache. It's just, just noise inside my head, Doctor. Constant noise inside my head," Yana told them, trying to downplay the distress he was clearly in.

"What sort of noise?"

"It's the sound of drums. More and more, as though it's getting closer."

Rose's heart began to race. That was exactly what she heard when she would get headaches. In fact, if she closed her eyes she could hear them now...

"When did it start?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, I've had it all my life. Every waking hour. Still, no rest for the wicked." With that, Yana stood and went back to work.

"He reminds me of you," Rose told him quietly. The Doctor just nodded his head, unsure of what to say. Rose spoke for him, "You have a lot of explaining to do."

He sighed. "I know and I will, Rose. I swear I will. Let me just work everything out here and then I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"Funny. I thought you already had," she said stiffly before going to stand next to Jack.

* * *

"So, you and him...?" Jack started when she moved next to him.

Rose grabbed one of the wires he was trying to hold while working on some machinery at the same. It was funny how they instantly feel into their old pattern. She would always do this for him and their old Doctor. "Me and him what?" she asked, pretending to not know what he was on about.

He threw a smirk in her direction. "Don't try that with me, Rose Tyler. So, how impressive is the old Time Lord in bed?"

"Jack!" Rose blushed furiously. "We're not like that. I thought we were going to be but now I just don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"We had started to get closer in _that _way. He was talking to me about a lot more. Sharing bits of his past with me. He actually told me that he wanted me to know everything about him before I agreed to being with him in that sense. It didn't matter to me of course. I know he has a past. I know he's had to do terrible things. I don't care. But I knew it was important to him, so I respected that. But he lied to me about you, Jack. He made me think that you were well aware of why we couldn't be with you. He never once mentioned that we abandoned you without a word," Rose explained to him quietly so the Doctor would hear.

"Rose-"

"What do I do, Jack? He's all I have left."

"That's not true," Jack pulled her in for a hug. "You have me too, sweetheart. You'll have me for a very long time in fact." He was just about to tell her more. Explain how he was different now but was cut off by the sound of Yana explaining to Atillo what needed to be done before the rocket could launch.

"Now all you need to do is connect the couplings, then we can launch," the older man said. After Martha volunteered to continue to reboot the failing monitor, the Professor told him, "Send your man inside. We'll keep the levels down from here." Once Atillo's man had made it into the chamber, he added, "Captain, keep the dials below the red."

"Where is that room?" the Doctor asked as he stared at the monitor.

"It's underneath the rocket. Fix the couplings and the footprint can work. But the entire chamber is flooded with stet radiation."

"Stet? Never heard of it."

"You wouldn't want to. But it's safe enough, if we can hold the radiation back from here."

"Man this place is filled with things the Doctor's never heard of," Jack whispered to Rose.

"Finally, he knows how I always feel," Rose agreed with a giggle.

An alarm started sounding as Yana looked back at Jack. "It's rising. Naught point two. Keep it level!" he commanded.

"Yes, sir."

A few moments later, more alarms sounded as the equipment began to malfunction. "Chan we're losing power tho!" Chantho said.

Jack and the Doctor immediately went to work on trying to fix things but it wasn't looking good. "Radiation's rising!" the Time Lord shouted.

"We've lost control!" Jack yelled back to him.

Rose stood back and nodded for Martha to do the same. Unless the guys asked for help, there was nothing they could do.

"The chamber's going to flood," Yana told them, trying to remain calm.

"Jack, override the vents!" the Doctor ordered.

Rose noticed the Captain move from his station and pull out to large power cables. "Jack what are you doing?" she cried out to him.

"We can jump start the override," he said as he began to hold the two live ends together.

"Don't! It's going to flare!" the Doctor yelled. But it was too late. A jolt of electricity ran threw Jack causing his body to spasm before he collapsed on the floor.

"No!" Rose screamed as she ran towards him.

Martha followed in her wake. "I've got him."

"Chan don't touch the cables tho," Chantho warned.

Rose felt for his pulse, but there was nothing. "He... He can't... Not now." Tears began streaming down her face.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Yana told the crying girl.

"Martha," Rose begged, "please." The other woman nodded and began mouth to mouth resuscitation.

"The chamber's flooded with radiation, yes?" the Doctor asked aloud as he stared down at the body of his old friend.

"Without the couplings, the engines will never start. It was all for nothing," Yana said, defeated.

"Oh, I don't know. Martha, leave him," he said softly as he physically moved her away. He went to do the same to Rose but the other woman pushed him back with strength neither were aware of.

"Don't touch me!" She shouted, tearing her gaze from Jack's. "You need to make him better. You owe that to him. We can take him to the TARDIS and she can make him heal him." Rose stroked the Captain's cheek, willing him to come back to her. "Find some nanogenes, yeah?"

He leaned down, taking great care not to touch her, "I can't make him better. But he'll be alright. I promise. I just need you to trust me."

"Why should I?" she told him with a coldness he had never heard her direct at him before.

He inhaled sharply and took a step back. Closing his eyes for a moment to compose himself, he turned back to look at Professor Yana. "It strikes me, Professor, you've got a room which no man can enter without dying. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the other man answered.

"Well..." Suddenly Jack arched under Rose's hold and gasped back to life. "I think I've got just the man."

Unable to form any words, Rose buried herself in Jack's embrace. The newly alive man looked around in confusion. "Was someone kissing me?"

* * *

After finding out what they needed him to do, Jack assured Rose he was alive and well and would have no problem in the radiation chamber.

"But I don't understand!" Rose told him vehemently.

"Honestly, neither do I. But I'm hoping the Doctor will be able to explain." Jack shot the other man a pointed look.

"Right, right. Just as soon as we've got this lot worked out," the Doctor told them.

Rose moved from Jack's side and went to stand in front of the Time Lord. "Be careful, yeah? He might not be able to die, but you can."

The Doctor took a chance and grabbed her hand. "I will. I promise."

And with that they were off, racing towards the radiation chamber.

* * *

Rose went to sit with Martha and Chantho at the monitor filled with static. "We lost picture when that thing flared up. Doctor, are you there?" Martha said, holding down the communication button.

**"Receiving, yeah. He's inside." **

"And he's alright? Still alive?" Rose asked nervously.

**"Oh, yes." **

"But he should evaporate," Yana told them. "What sort of a man is he?"

"Depends on who you ask," Rose said cheekily.

"I've only just met him," Martha added. "The Doctor sort of travels through time and space and picks people up." She turned to Rose. "God, I make us sound like stray dogs. Maybe we are."

"He travels in time?" the older man said in astonishment.

A wistful grin crossed Rose's face. "That he does. That blue box is our ship, our TARDIS. Stands for Time and Relative Dimension in Space."

Suddenly the Doctor's voice came over the monitor. **"When did you first realise?" **

**"Earth, 1892,"** Jack replied. **"Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kind of strange. But then it never stopped. Fell off a cliff, trampled by horses, World War One, World War Two, poison, starvation, a stray javelin. In the end, I got the message. I'm the man who can never die. And all that time you knew."**

Rose gasped. "What?"

**"That's why I left you behind. It's not easy even just looking at you, Jack, because you're wrong." **

**"Thanks."**

**"You are. I can't help it. I'm a Time Lord. It's instinct. It's in my guts. You're a fixed point in time and space. You're a fact. That's never meant to happen. Even the TARDIS reacted against you, tried to shake you off. Flew all the way to the end of the universe just to get rid of you."**

"Can they hear us?" Rose whispered to Martha.

"Not unless we hold down the SPEAK button," was the other woman's reply.

Jack's voice filled the speaker once more,** "So what you're saying is that you're, uh, prejudiced?" **

**"I never thought of it like that,"** the Doctor told him.

**"Shame on you." **

**"Yeah."**

**"Last thing I remember, back when I was mortal, I was facing three Daleks. Death by extermination. And then I came back to life. What happened?" **

**"Rose." **

Martha heard a sharp intake on breath and watched as the blonde next to hear clutched the arm of the chair tightly.

**"I thought you'd sent her back home?"** Jack questioned.

**"She came back." **The Doctor stated firmly and with a hint of frustration and pride mixed together.** "Opened the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex itself."**

**"What does that mean, exactly?" **

Tears started pouring down Rose's face as memories of the Bad Wolf washed over her and the Doctor explained what happened.** "No one's ever mean to have that power**.** If a Time Lord did that, he'd become a god. A vengeful god. But she's human. Everything she does is so human. She brought you back to life but she couldn't control it. She brought you back forever. That's something, I suppose. The final act of the Time War was life."**

To say that Martha was conflicted, would be an understatement. She had thought that the Doctor and Rose were finally being more open and honest with her but clearly there was so much that had been left unsaid. Rose had become some sort of powerful being that had the ability to bring dead men back to life. Maybe she really didn't know them at all.

**"Do you think she could change me back?" Jack asked.**

Rose began crying even harder as she realised, before the Doctor could even answer, that no, she would not be able to fix her precious Captain.

**"I took the power out of her. That's how I regenerated. Plus,"** the Doctor added, **"she doesn't remember much of what happened. I told her everything except what happened to you, but if something were to awaken her memories of what she saw as she held the Vortex, she would burn."**

**"You know, I went back to her estate, in the nineties, just once or twice. Watched her growing up. Never said hello. Timelines and all that." **

She closed her eyes and searched her memories, trying to remember to if she ever saw Jack in the background but there was nothing. He must have done a good job at staying hidden. Not wanting to listen to anymore, Rose let out a strangled sob before telling Martha that, "she needed a moment," and bolted past a confused looking Professor Yana and ran straight into the TARDIS.

Unaware of what was happening in the laboratory, the Doctor asked Jack, **"Do you want to die?"**

**"Oh, this one's a little stuck." **

**"Jack...?" **

**"I thought I did,"** he said sounding like he was struggling.** "I don't know. But this lot. You see them out here surviving, and that's fantastic." **

**"You might be out there, somewhere,"** the Time Lord told him brightly.

**"I could go meet myself!"**

**"Well, the only man you're ever going to be happy with." **

Jack laughed.** "This new regeneration, it's kind of cheeky."**

* * *

Martha shook her head and told Chantho, "I never understand half the things he says. What's wrong?" she asked when she noticed how distraught Yana had become.

Chantho hurried towards her mentor. "Chan Professor, what is it tho?"

He shook his head as a few tears escaped down his cheeks. "Time travel. They say there was time travel back in the old days. I never believed. But what would I know? Stupid old man. Never could keep time. Always late, always lost. Even this thing never worked." He stopped and pulled a familiar looking fob watch out of his pocket. "Time and time and time again. Always running out on me."

Martha eyes grew wide as she realised how she recoginsed the watch. "Can I have a look at that?" she asked carefully.

He held it out towards here. "Oh, it's only an old relic. Like me."

"Where did you get it?"

Yana seemed lost in thought as he responded with, "I was found with it."

Martha pulse began to race. It couldn't be?... "What do you mean?"

"An orphan in the storm. I was a naked child found on the coast of the Silver Devastation. Abandoned, with only this."

"Have you opened it?"

"Why would I? It's broken."

She gave a small, excited smile as she asked, "How do you know it's broken if you've never opened it?"

"It's stuck. It's old. It's not meant to be. I don't know," he said before Martha gently flipped the watch over in his hand. "Does it matter?" he questioned when she took a step backwards.

_Oh my god, _Martha practically screamed in her head. It was the same. The watch had the same circular designs as the Doctor's did. The same designs that littered the TARDIS on various post-it notes. Rose had once told her that it was the Doctor's language and that the ship didn't translate, but Martha had always had a hard time wrapping her head around it. "No. It's nothing. It's. Listen, everything's fine up here. I'm going to see if the Doctor needs me," Martha said before racing out of the lab. She had thought about going to find Rose first, but changed her mind. The Doctor needed to know about this newest development ASAP and clearly she needed her space at the moment.

* * *

Rose sat curled up on the jump seat as the last of her sobs subsided. She could tell the TARDIS had been trying to send her soothing thoughts but something seemed to be interrupting. How could he have not told her about Jack? They just left him. All alone. And admittedly, the Captain wasn't the first thing on Rose's mind as the Doctor's regeneration was a bit of a mess. But then feelings of guilt washed over her as she thought of the week they spent at the Powell Estate after Christmas. And then it was on to New Earth and their other fantastic adventures.

The Doctor had said the Jack was busy rebuilding the Earth and she just accepted that. Yes she missed him, but she had trusted the Doctor. Especially after they met Shakespeare and the Doctor had told her that they couldn't be a part of Jack's life at the moment. Well, wasn't that a big fat lie. It wasn't that they couldn't, it was that the Doctor didn't want to be around Jack. Rule number one shouldn't be, no wandering off. Rule number one should be, the Doctor lies.

Rose sent a wave of thanks to the TARDIS when a flannel appeared next to her, and she began wiping her face. She was going to march down to the Doctor and give him a piece of her mind. She wasn't some naive little shop girl anymore. She was Rose Tyler. The Bad Wolf. And Rose Tyler did _not _abandon her friends. Now if only the pounding in her head would stop...

* * *

Martha rush to the chamber the Doctor and Jack were in to find both men rushing about, flicking various switches. "Ah, nearly there. The footprint, it's a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up. Bit primitive. It'll take the both of us to keep it stable," the Doctor informed her.

She took a deep breath and rushed to his other side. "Doctor, it's the Professor. He's got this watch. He's got a fob watch. It's the same as yours. Same writing on it, same everything."

He frowned at her. "Don't be ridiculous."

"I asked him. He said he's had it his whole life."

Not understanding what the big deal was Jack said, "So he's got the same watch."

"Yeah, but it's not a watch," she told him. "It's this chameleon thing."

The Doctor didn't want to listen to this. He couldn't get his hopes up. "No, no, no, it's this, this thing, this device, it rewrites biology. Changes a Time Lord into a human."

"And it's the same watch!"

"It can't be." And alarm started blaring, causing the Doctor to go see what was causing it.

"That means he could be a Time Lord. You might not be the last one!" the other man said to him.

"Jack, keep it level!" the Doctor snapped.

"But that's brilliant, isn't it?" Martha asked, failing to see why the Doctor was so upset.

"Yes, it is. Course it is. Depends which one. Brilliant, fantastic, yeah. But they died, the Time Lords. All of them. They died," he said, his voice think with emotion.

Jack gave him a pointed look. "Not if he was human."

"What did he say, Martha?" he asked quietly before rushing over and yelling in her face, "What did he say?!"

Martha flinched and took an involuntary step back. "He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it. Like that perception filter thing."

"What about now? Can he see it now?"

"Yes."

The computer started the rocket's countdown. Jack moved closer saying, "If he escaped the Time War then it's the perfect place to hide. The end of the universe."

"Think of what the Face of Boe said. His dying words. He said, "You are not alone."

The dots connected as the rocket took off. You Are Not Alone. YANA. After quickly confirming with Atillo that the rocket had reached velocity, the three travellers took off running. "Where's Rose?" the Doctor yelled at Martha.

"She ran off to the TARDIS after hearing your little confession about her being responsible for Jack!" Martha chided.

_She heard that?! _He was in so much trouble. Suddenly the door that would lead to the lab, slammed shut. "Get it open! Get it open!" he shouted frantically.

* * *

Rose stood in the doorway of the TARDIS, finally feeling ready to face the Doctor when she was met with the sight of Professor Yana holding a live wire to Chantho, electrocuting her. "What the hell, do you think you're doing!?" Rose shouted at him.

Yana held the wire towards her and threatened, "Stay back girl! I won't hesitate to use this on you either."

Rose stayed frozen where she was and watched as he collected the jar containing the Doctor's hand, and a chip from one of the computers.

A pounding on the door began as the Doctor's voice could be heard shouting, "Professor! Professor, where are you?! Professor! Professor, are you there? Please, I need to explain. Whatever you do, don't open that watch."

"Disconnect the cable that is connecting the TARDIS," the Professor commanded of her. "Now!" he shouted when she didn't move.

Deciding it was better to do as he said till the Doctor got in would be best. She didn't fancy being electrocuted. "Listen," she said carefully as she pulled on the wire. "Whatever is going on, we can help you. Just please, let my friends back in."

The sound of a gun going off and Yana's grunt of pain was the only answer she got. Looking up, she saw the Doctor's enter the room. Their eyes met briefly before Yana's hand clamped over her mouth and pulled her backwards with an unknown strength. Shutting the TARDIS doors, he moved quickly to flick a switch that would keep the Doctor out. "Deadlocked," he whispered in Rose's ear. Before grabbing some spare wire and trying her to a coral strut.

"Let go of me!" she screamed while trying to hit and kick the man away, but it barely affected him. "Doctor!"

"I'm begging you. Everything's changed! It's only the two of us! We're the only ones left! Just let me in! Please! Give me Rose back!" the Doctor shouted through the shut door.

"Listen to him!" Rose begged the man but stopped when a familiar golden light began to lick Yana's skin.

"Killed by an insect," he spat out. "A girl. How inappropriate. Still, if the Doctor can be young and strong, then so can I. The Master reborn." With that he threw his arms back as his features began to change.

"Doctor, I don't understand! He's regenerating!" Rose yelled. The now younger man collapsed on the floor before sitting up straight. He stood up quickly and began racing around the console, filling the control room with laughter. "Professor, please.." she said as she began straining against the wires that bound her.

"No, dear," he whispered as he moved to bend down next to her and stroke her cheek. "You will call me by my name. You will call me Master!" He stood and went to press the speaker button on the console. "Now then, Doctor," he shouted. "Ooo, new voice. Hello, hello. Hello. Anyway, why don't we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me and rescue the girl...I don't think."

Rose could hear the distress in the Doctor's voice as he said, "I'm asking you really properly. Just stop. Just think!"

"Use my name."

"Master." He gave in before quietly adding, "I'm sorry."

"Tough!" the Master shouted before getting the TARDIS ready for flight.

"Doctor!" Rose began screaming as the pounding in her head grew so loud it was almost unbearable. The console began sparking and Rose was sure it had something to do with the Time Lord that was stuck outside.

The Master was on the same page as he shouted, "Oh, no you don't! Say so long, blondie! End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!"

* * *

The Doctor watched in horror as the TARDIS disappeared from sight, carrying the sound of Rose's screams with it.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Sound of the Drums.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	27. The Sound of the Drums Part 1

**A/N: So sorry about the wait. I became very unhappy with this chapter as I started editing and ended up rewriting a portion of it. Big thanks though to my followers (old & new), those who have favorited, and those who leave such great reviews! I hope you like this one... *bites nails nervously***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Sound of the Drums. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

Gone. They were gone. Rose, the TARDIS, and the... Master. They were gone.

"Doctor, help us!" Jack cried. The Doctor twisted around to see Jack and Martha both fighting to keep the door to the laboratory closed, but the Futurekind and made their way into the silo and were putting up one hell of a fight.

Seeing a black strap on Jack's wrist the Doctor grabbed the other man's limb and began to use the sonic screwdriver. "Hold still! Don't move! Hold it still!" he shouted at the struggling man.

"I'm telling you, it's broken. It hasn't worked for years."

"That's because you didn't have me. Martha, grab hold, now!" He placed Martha's hand on the vortex manipulator right before they vanished.

A moment later the three time travellers reappeared in some sort of alley. Martha groaned and leaned against the wall. "Oh, my head."

"Time travel without a capsule. That's a killer," the Doctor said as he cracked his neck.

* * *

"Still," Jack stated as they made their way onto a busy street, "at least we made it. Earth, twenty first century by the looks of it. Talk about lucky."

"That wasn't luck, that was me," the Doctor told him as he found them some seats to rest on. He went on to explain how he fixed Jack's "space hopper."

"The moral is, if you're going to get stuck at the end of the universe, get stuck with an ex-Time Agent and his vortex manipulator," the Captain said when the Doctor was done.

Martha frowned. "But this Master bloke, he's got the TARDIS and Rose. He could be anywhere in time and space."

"No, he's here. Trust me," he said darkly.

"Who is he, anyway? And that voice at the end, that wasn't the Professor."

"If the Master's a Time Lord, then he must have regenerated," Jack informed her.

"What does that mean?" she asked looking at the Doctor in a whole new light.

"It means he's changed his face, voice, body, everything. New man."

At that moment the Doctor noticed a homeless man tapping on his tin cup. A four beat rhythm. There was something familiar about it...

Martha's voice broke through his musings. "Then how are we going to find him?"

"I'll know him, the moment I see him," the Doctor told them. "Time Lords always do."

"But hold on." An election banner suddenly caught her eye and made Martha think. "If he could be anyone, we missed the election. But it can't be."

A large screen made itself known as they heard a newsreader report, **_"Mister Saxon has returned from the Palace and is greeting the crowd inside Saxon Headquarters." _**They watched as a man and woman made their way down some stairs.

Jack and the Doctor moved closer to the screen while Martha followed along saying, "I said I knew that voice. When he spoke inside the TARDIS. I've heard that voice hundreds of times. I've seen him. We all have. That was the voice of Harold Saxon."

"That's him. He's Prime Minister," he whispered. "The Master is Prime Minister of Great Britain. The Master and his wife?" the Doctor said is disbelief as he watched the couple kiss for the photographers.

The Master broke away from the embrace with his wife and turned to face the cameras. **"I have saved us all from the big bad wolf, but this country is still sick. This country needs healing. This country needs medicine. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that what this country really needs right now,"** he looked straight at the camera, **"is a Doctor." **

The Doctor took an involuntary step back. Jack placed his arm gently on the other man's shoulder and asked, "What does he mean that he saved everyone from the big bad wolf? Those two words always seem to pop up. Bad Wolf..."

"Rose," he mumbled. "Rose was the Bad Wolf. It was a message she left herself so she would know after I sent her away from the Gamestation, that she could return." Where was Rose now? What had the Master done to her? These thoughts rolled through his head as he turned his attention to his other companion. "Martha, we need to get away from here. Can we go back to your flat?"

She nodded her head slowly. "Sure. We're not far actually. Just a short walk."

* * *

"Home," Martha announced as they walked into her flat twenty minutes later.

"What have you got? Computer, laptop, anything," the Doctor asked before noticing the other man in the room on his mobile. "Jack, who are you phoning? You can't tell anyone we're here."

"Just some friends of mine, but there's no reply," he responded.

Martha found her laptop and brought it over. "Here you go. Any good?"

Jack grabbed the item from her and placed it on the desk. "I can show you the Saxon web sites. He's been around for ages."

"That's so weird though," she said as she paced about her room. "It's the day after the election. That's only four days after I met you and Rose."

Realisation flooded the Doctor. "We went flying all around the universe while he was here all the time with Rose."

"You going to tell us who he is?" Martha asked firmly as she planted her feet and placed her hands on her hips.

"He's a Time Lord."

"What about the rest of it? Come on, Doctor. This man has _Rose_. I mean, who'd call himself the Master?"

"That's all you need to know," he told her as he leaned over Jack's shoulder to see the computer screen. "Come on, show me Harold Saxon."

Rolling her eyes, Martha flipped her answering machine on and heard her sister's voice, _**"Martha, where are you? I've got this new job. You won't believe it. It's weird. They just phoned me up out of the blue. I'm working for-"**_

She shut the machine off, mumbling, "Oh, like it matters."

After watching a video of various celebrities making their claim about "voting for Saxon," the Doctor slumped onto Martha's bed. His mind couldn't stop thinking about what was happening to his pink and yellow human.

Jack clicked the video off and returned to the homepage for the Harold Saxon web site. "Former Minister of Defence. First came to prominence when he shot down the Racnoss on Christmas Eve. Nice work, by the way."

"Oh, thanks," he replied absently.

Martha walked over to her desk and began clicking through the pictures on the laptop. "But he goes back years. He's famous. Everyone knows his story. Look. Cambridge University, Rugby blue. Won the Athletics thing. Wrote a novel, went into business, marriage, everything. He's got a whole life." When the Doctor gave her no reply, Martha asked Jack if he would make some tea while she went to freshen up.

Moving through her tiny kitchen, Jack asked, "What do you think he's done with Rose?"

"I don't know," the Doctor reluctantly acknowledged as he began searching through more of Saxon's site. "There's no mention of her here. No pictures. Nothing."

"You don't think...?"

"She's still alive, Jack."

"But who knows how many years they've been hiding out here."

"It hasn't been that long."

"But he's got the TARDIS. Maybe the Master went back in time and has been living here for decades," Jack said logically as he carried threw mugs in just in time for Martha to reappear with her hair combed and some fresh clothes on.

"No," the Doctor denied firmly.

"Why not? Worked for me."

The Doctor took his mug from Jack and sipped his tea before explaining, "When he was stealing the TARDIS, the only thing I could do was fuse the coordinates. I locked them permanently. He can only travel between the year one hundred trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now"

Jack gave him a pointed look. "Yeah, but a little leeway?"

"Well, eighteen months, tops. The most he could have been here is eighteen months. Rose has been trapped with him for eighteen months," he added softly. "So how has he managed all this? The Master was always sort of hypnotic, but this is on a massive scale."

"I was going to vote for him," Martha spoke up.

"Really?"

"Well, it was before I even met you. And I liked him."

"Me too," Jack added.

The Doctor asked, "Why do you say that? What was his policy? What did he stand for?"

"I don't know. He always sounded good," she answered as she began tapping a four beat rhythm with her fingers. "Like you could trust him. Just nice. He spoke about... I can't really remember, but it was good. Just the sound of his voice." Her voice sounded as if she was under a spell while she continued tapping.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked loudly, snapping her out of her daze.

She shook her head. "What?"

"That." He pointed at her fingers. "That tapping, that rhythm. What are you doing?"

"I don't know. It's nothing. It's just... I don't know," she cried defensively.

Suddenly a fanfare began playing from the laptop as a screen popped up the read, **Saxon Broadcast All Channels.**

The Doctor moved to Martha's television and turned it on. "Our lord and master is speaking to his kingdom," he said.

**"Britain, Britain, Britain,"** the Master stated as he began his address. **"What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago, this world was so small. And then they came, out of the unknown, falling from the skies. You've seen it happen. Big Ben destroyed. A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well, not me. Not Harold Saxon. Because my purpose here today is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain, I have been contacted. A message for humanity, from beyond the stars." **

A picture of a small sphere appeared on screen as a childlike voice rang out saying, "**People of the Earth, we come in peace. We bring great gifts. We bring technology and wisdom and protection. And all we ask in return is your friendship."**

The screen flashed back to the Master. **"Ooo, sweet. And this species has identified itself. They are called the Toclafane."**

"What?!" the Doctor exclaimed in shock.

**"And tomorrow morning, they will appear. Not in secret, but to all of you. Diplomatic relations with a new species will begin. Tomorrow, we take our place in the universe. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher and chemist and lorry driver and farmer and shop girl. Oh, I don't know, every medical student?"**

The Doctor turned in surprise to look at Martha. A moment later he flipped her television around to see sticks of explosives strapped to the back. "Out!" the Doctor cried, taking only enough time to grab the laptop and his coat.

* * *

They made it out and to the street just as the top floor of the converted house Martha was living in, exploded. "All right?" the Doctor shouted.

"Fine, yeah, fine," Jack answered.

"Martha?" he called when he heard no response from her. He then noticed her dialing her mobile. "What are you doing?"

"He knows about me. What about my family?" she asked frantically.

"Don't tell them anything!" he commanded.

She turned and told him harshly, "I'll do what I like." She then put her attention back to her phone. "Mum? Oh my god. You're there."

As Martha spoke to her mother on the phone, the Doctor's thoughts once again focused on Rose. She had been with the Master for over a year. What had he done to her? Was she being properly cared for? Was she safe? Was she even still alive? _Stop!_ he commanded himself. He would not go there. Of course she was still alive. He would know if she wasn't. The universe would be different. But it all still feels he same. The turn of the Earth, the ground beneath his feet. The only thing that's wrong is that his hand is empty. Because Rose was trapped with the Master. But alive. Very much alive. She _had _to be.

Suddenly, Martha looked to the Doctor and Jack, alerting them that something was wrong. "Dad, what are you doing there?" There was a brief pause before she spoke again. "Dad? Just say yes or no. Is there someone else there?"she asked carefully, keeping her eyes trained on the Time Lord in front of her.

**_"Yes!"_** he suddenly shouted. He was so loud the Doctor and Jack could even hear him. **_"Just run!" _**There was a flurry of shouts and sounds of a struggle as her dad choked out, **_"Listen to me! Just run! I don't know who they are!" _**

"Dad?" she yelled into the phone. "What's going on? Dad?" Martha quickly hung up and raced towards her car. "We've got to help them."

"That's exactly what they want. It's a trap!" the Doctor tried explaining to her.

"I don't care!" she snapped. With a weary nod the Doctor climbed into the front seat while Jack piled in the back.

* * *

While speeding through traffic Martha dialed her sister's number and placed her mobile on speaker. "Come on, Tish. Pick up," she muttered as the phone rang. Whatever Tish was saying on the other end couldn't have been good as Martha started yelling, "What's happening? Tish!" When the line went dead Martha threw her phone down and shot an accusatory look at the Doctor. "It's your fault. It's all your's and Rose's fault!"

As she pulled around the corner to the street her mum's house was on, they were met with the road being blocked by armed police and the sight of her parents being forced into the back of a van.

"Martha, get out of here! Get out!" her mother shouted.

"Martha, reverse," the Doctor ordered when the armed police moved closer. "Get out, now!" he shouted as they raised their guns and began firing at her car.

"Move it!" Jack yelled right before the back window was shattered.

* * *

After Jack convinced Martha to pull her car over, the all jumped out and began walking through an underpass. Martha pulled her mobile out once more and dialed her brother's number. "Leo! Oh, thank God. Leo, you got to listen to me. Where are you?" She stopped walking and said, "Leo, just listen to me. Don't go home. I'm telling you. Don't phone Mum or Dad or Tish. You've got to hide... On my life. You've got to trust me. Go to Boxer's. Stay with him. Don't tell anyone. Just hide." Martha's face turned grim and her voice cold, "Let them go, Saxon," she said, causing the Doctor and Jack to stop walking and turn to face her. "Do you hear me! Let them go!"

The Doctor raced pulled the mobile out of her hand and placed to his ear. "I'm here."

**_"Doctor," _**the other Time Lord acknowledged.

"Master."

**_"I like it when you use my name."_**

"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day."

**_"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that?"_**

Trying to stay calm, the Doctor said, "So, Prime Minister, then."

**_"I know. It's good, isn't it?"_** he said, not even trying to hide his glee.

"Where's Rose?"

**_"Around."_**

The Doctor clenched his free hand. "Where is she, Master? What have you done with her?"

**_"Hmmm. Try another question. One I feel like answering."_**

He wanted to shout and make demands about Rose's whereabouts and well being, but he needed information first. "Who are those creatures? Because there's no such thing as the Toclafane. It's just a made up name, like the Bogeyman."

**_"Do you remember all those fairy tales about the Toclafane when we were kids back home?"_** the Master asked almost wistfully. **_"Where is it, Doctor?"_**

"Gone."

**_"That's what she said. But I didn't want to believe her. How can Gallifrey be gone?"_**

"It burnt."

**_"And the Time Lords?" _**

"Dead. And the Daleks, more or less."

Laughter flooded the mobile. **_"Look at that. She was telling the truth."_**

The Doctor shook his head. "What happened to you?"

**_"The Time Lords only resurrected me because they knew I'd be the perfect warrior for a Time War. I was there when the Dalek Emperor took control of the Cruciform. I saw it. I ran. I ran so far. Made myself human so they would never find me, because I was so... scared." _**

"I know," he said sympathetically.

**_"All of them?"_** the Master asked with a brighter tone. **_"But not you, which must mean..." _**

"I was the only one who could end it. And I tried. I did. I tried everything."

**_"What did it feel like, though? Two almighty civilisations burning. Oh, tell me, how did that feel?" _**

"Stop it!" the Doctor cried.

**_"You must have been like God." _**

"I've been alone ever since. But not anymore. Don't you see? All we've got is each other."

**_"Are you asking me out on a date? A bit too soon don't you think? What would Rose say?"_** the Master mocked.

The Doctor tried reasoning, "You could stop this right now. You could let her go. Just let Rose go and we could leave this planet. We can fight across the constellations, if that's what you want, but not on Earth."

**_"Too late." _**

Feeling his hearts drop, he asked, "Why do you say that?"

**_"The drumming. Can't you hear it? Rose could. Drove her mad. I thought it would stop, but it never does. Never ever stops. Inside my head, the drumming, Doctor. The constant drumming." _**

_Rose could hear it? _the Doctor asked himself. Shaking it off he said, "I could help you. Both of you Please, let me see her and let me help you."

**_"It's everywhere,"_** the Master whispered.**_ "Listen, listen, listen. Here come the drums... Here come the drums."_**

The Doctor noticed a man nearby slapping his thighs in a four beat rhythm. "What have you done? Tell me how you've done this. What are those creatures? Tell me!"

**_"Ooo look. You're on TV."_**

"Stop it. Answer me."

**_"No, really. You're on telly. You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are." _**The Doctor walked over to a nearby shop window and saw his, Martha's, and Jack's face on the news, listing them as terrorists. The Master then said, **_"You're public enemies number one, two and three. Oh, and you can tell handsome Jack that I've sent his little gang off on a wild goose chase to the Himalayas, so he won't be getting any help from them." _**The Doctor nodded for the others to join him. **_"Now, go on, off you go. Why not start by turning to the right?" _**

The Doctor turned to his right and saw a CCTV camera pointed directly at them He pulled the sonic screwdriver and aimed it up, causing the camera to spark. "He can see us," he told Martha and Jack.

**_"Oh, you public menace. Better start running. That was important to you and your precious Rose, wasn't it? The first word you ever said to her. Well, better take your own advice. Go on, run!"_**

The Doctor took the phone from his ear and said hopelessly, "He's got control of everything."

"What do we do?" Martha asked, not making eye contact, but staring at her face on the news.

Jack stated simply, "We've got nowhere to go."

Martha turned to face the Time Lord and asked demandingly, "Doctor, what do we do?"

The Master's voice rang out through the mobile, **_"Run, Doctor. Run for your life!"_**

"We run," the Doctor agreed.

* * *

"You don't have to do this," a weak voice told the Master as he made his way into the room holding the machine that would change the cosmos.

"I really do, my pet," he replied.

"Please..."

"The darkness is coming. That's what they said. The never ending darkness. The terrible, terrible cold."

"They're lying."

"You know they're not."

"You'll never get away with this. He'll stop you. You know he will."

"He won't, my pet. Not this time."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Sound of the Drums Part 2**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	28. The Sound of the Drums Part 2

**A/N: Many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left reviews! This chapter was a rough one in every aspect. Planning, writing, and editing. All I can really say about it though is, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode The Sound of the Drums. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

As the Doctor sat in the cold abandoned warehouse Jack had discovered, his thoughts, once again, turned to Rose. The Master kept referring to her in past tense and wouldn't answer is questions of her well being. _Oh, my poor Rose,_ he thought. She must hate him by now. Despise him. He imagined how she probably waited for him to rescue her and the TARDIS. Waited longer than five and half hours. But how did she feel after five and a half months went by? His thoughts turned dark. _She's probably given up on me by now. Rightfully so._

"Stop it," Jack commanded out of nowhere.

The Doctor looked up at him in surprise. "Stop what?"

"Stop whatever horrible things you're thinking about. Rose will be fine. She has to be." Jack had sent Martha out to retrieve some food for them a short while earlier. He figured she would be the most inconspicuous. But now that it was just him alone with the Time Lord, he could feel the waves of guilt and anguish pouring off the alien man.

"She's been with him for over a year, Jack."

"I know that, Doc. But our Rose is strong and brave. Knowing her, she'll have already figured out a way to save herself."

The Doctor could only nod. Yes, _his _Rose was strong and brave. But everybody had their breaking point... _No! _he now commanded himself. _Jack was right. I can't keep thinking like that._

The two men descended in silence, working on trying to find out as much information as possible, when Martha finally returned with provisions.

Jack moved to greet her, grabbing the takeaway bag in her hands. "How was it?" he asked.

"I don't think anyone saw me," she replied. "Anything new?"

He gestured to the strap on his wrist. "I've got this tuned to government wavelengths so we can follow what Saxon's doing."

"Yeah, I meant about my family."

"It still says the Jones family taken in for questioning," the Doctor tells her as he keeps his eyes focused on the laptop. "Tell you what, though. No mention of Leo."

Martha grins. "He's not as daft as he looks. I'm talking about my brother on the run. How did this happen?"

Jack passed out the food Martha brought and comments, "Nice chips."

"Actually, they're not bad," the Doctor agrees after taking a bite of the greasy potato. He stops chewing when Rose's voice rings through his ears.

_"I think they're gorgeous."_

He drops the bag, unable to swallow anymore.

Sensing where the Doctor's thoughts had run off to, Jack picked the bag up and handed it back to him. "Eat," he ordered. "Rose would be pissed if you wasted them." Once the other man had taken a few more bites, Jack said, "So, Doctor, who is he? How come the ancient society of Time Lords created a psychopath?"

"And what is he to you?" Martha chimed in. "Like a colleague or-"

"A friend, at first," the Doctor answered.

She gave a small laugh. "I thought you were going to say he was your secret brother or something."

The Doctor shot her an annoyed look. "You've been watching too much TV."

"But all the legends of Gallifrey made it sound so perfect," Jack said.

"Well, perfect to look at, maybe. And it was. It was beautiful." He leaned back in his chair and began to imagine his home. Back when it was still fresh and beautiful. With a burnt orange sky, untainted by war. "They used to call it the Shining World of the Seven Systems. And on the Continent of Wild Endeavour, in the Mountains of Solace and Solitude, there stood the Citadel of the Time Lords, the oldest and most mighty race in the universe, looking down on the galaxies below. Sworn never to interfere, only to watch. Children of Gallifrey, taken from their families age of eight to enter the Academy. And some say that's when it all began. When he was a child. That's when the Master saw eternity. As a novice, he was taken for initiation. He stood in front of the Untempered Schism. It's a gap in the fabric of reality through which could be seen the whole of the vortex. You stand there, eight years old, staring at the raw power of time and space, just a child. Some would be inspired, some would run away, and some would go mad." He shook out of his thoughts. "Brr. I don't know."

"What about you?" Martha asked gently.

"Oh, the ones that ran away, I never stopped," he said almost proudly.

Jack's Vortex Manipulator began beeping. "Encrypted channel with files attached. Don't recognise it."

"Patch it through to the laptop."

Jack shifted in his seat. "Since we're telling stories, there's something I haven't told you." Motioning for the Doctor to move, Jack switched places with the Doctor and began typing on the laptop.

The Doctor stood behind Jack and felt his stomach drop as organization name he prayed to never hear of again popped up. He moved to the other man's side and glared at him. "You work for Torchwood."

"I swear to you, it's different. It's changed. There's only half a dozen of us now."

"Everything Torchwood did, and you're part of it? Rose almost died. _Died_, Jack. She just barely made it and on top of that, because of Torchwood, Rose is never going to see her mother again."

"The old regime was destroyed at Canary Wharf," the Captain replied, clearly uncomfortable. "I rebuilt it, I changed it, and when I did that, I did it for you in your honour."

The Doctor gave no response but leaned down to press the start button on the laptop. An older blonde woman appeared on screen and began talking.

_**"If I haven't returned to my desk by twenty two hundred, this file will be emailed to Torchwood. Which means if you're watching this, then I'm... Anyway, the Saxon files are attached. But take a look at the Archangel document. That's when it all started. When Harry Saxon became Minister in charge of launching the Archangel Network." **_

"What's the Archangel Network?" the Doctor asked as Jack opened the file.

Martha pulled out her mobile and told him, "I've got Archangel. Everyone's got it."

"It's a mobile phone network. Because look," Jack said as he pointed to the satellite maps that had popped up, "it's gone worldwide. They've got fifteen satellites in orbit. Even the other networks, they're all carried by Archangel."

The Doctor grabbed Martha's mobile and began scanning it with the sonic screwdriver. "It's in the phones! Oh, I said he was a hypnotist. Wait, wait, wait. Hold on." He hit the phone against the table before the item suddenly started beeping a the familiar four beat pattern. "There it is. That rhythm, it's everywhere, ticking away in the subconscious."

"What is it, mind control?" Martha asked.

"No, no, no, no, no. It's subtler than that. Any stronger and people would question it. But contained in that rhythm, in layers of code, Vote Saxon. Believe in me. Whispering to the world. Oh, yes! That's how he hid himself from me, because I should have sensed there was another Time Lord on Earth. I should have known way back. The signal canceled him out."

"Any way you can stop it?" Jack questioned.

He shook his head. "Not from down here. But now we know how he's doing it."

"And we can fight back," Martha stated firmly with a hint of a smile.

The Doctor looked up at her and felt his first wave of hope. They would fight back. Martha would fight for her family and he would fight for Rose. "Oh, yes!"

Without another word he began dissembling the laptop and Martha's phone. Jack and Martha both watched in rapt attention. This is what the Doctor did best. This was the Doctor in his element. Wielding is sonic screwdriver and preparing to save the world.

"Keys!" he suddenly shouted.

Martha frowned. "Excuse me?"

"I need your TARDIS key. Your's too, Jack." He cleared his throat. "If you still have it."

Jack rolled his eyes. Of course he still had it. He handed the key over as soon as Martha did.

* * *

A while later, the Doctor pushed the keys forward. "Three TARDIS keys. Three pieces of the TARDIS, all with low level perception properties because the TARDIS is designed to blend in. Well, sort of. But now, the Archangel Network's got a second low level signal. Weld the key to the network and Martha, look at me." He grabbed his key, which had a bit of string attached to it, and stepped back asking, "You can see me, yes?"

"Yep!" she responded.

"What about now?" He put the key around his neck and watched as Martha scrunched up her face and tried to focus. "No, I'm here. Look at me."

"It's like I know you're there, but I don't want to know."

He took the key off his neck. "And back again. See? It just shifts your perception a tiny little bit. Doesn't make us invisible, just unnoticed." He handed his two companions their keys and began to walk away before stopping. "Oh, I know what it's like. It's like, it's like when you fancy someone and they don't even know you exist. That's what it's like. Come on."

Martha just sighed as she watched his walk off. Jack gave her a knowing look. "Been there," he told her kindly.

* * *

As they walked out of the warehouse, the Doctor warned of remaining completely silent. "Like ghosts," Jack had said and he readily agreed. Although, he did feel a small shiver at the reminder of the last time he had encountered "ghosts." He hoped that this would have a better outcome than that event did. He couldn't stand for Rose to lose anymore than she already had. And more so, he couldn't stand the thought of losing Rose.

* * *

The trio made their way to the airport where they had heard that the Master would be meeting the President of the United States. They could barely make out what the two men were saying, but the tension that filled the President was clearly visible. After the President left, stating that he would see the Master on the Valiant, the Master's wife was escorted away. The three held their breath as the other Time Lord turned and faced the direction they were in. It was a sigh of relief when a police van pulled up. The relief was short lived.

"Oh my God," Martha gasped when she saw her mother and father shoved out and being taunted by the Master.

"Don't move," the Doctor ordered while keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of Rose.

"But the-"

"Don't."

"I'm going to kill him."

"What say I use this perception filter to walk up behind him and break his neck?" Jack asked coldly.

The Doctor gave him a sharp glance. "Now that sounds like Torchwood."

He shrugged. "Still a good plan. This man has had Rose captive for over a year."

Taking a deep breath the Doctor said, "He's a Time Lord, which makes him my responsibility. I'm not here to kill him. I'm here to save him. That's what... That's what Rose will want and expect me to do."

"How do you know that?" Martha asked quietly.

"Because I know Rose."

Jack began messing with his Vortex Manipulator. "Aircraft carrier Valiant. It's a UNIT ship at fifty eight point two north, ten point oh two east."

Martha looked at the two men. "How do we get on board?"

"Does that thing work as a teleport?" asked the Doctor.

"Since you revamped it, yeah," Jack answered as they all placed their hands on his wrist strap. "Coordinates set."

* * *

They appeared a moment later in some sort of engine room, each groaning and stretching their muscles. "Oh, that thing is rough," Martha stated as she pulled herself off the floor.

"I've has worse nights," Jack told her. "Welcome to the Valiant."

Martha moved to the nearest window and saw they were high in the sky. "It's dawn? Hold on, I thought this was a ship. Where's the sea?"

"A ship for the twenty first century, protecting the skies of planet Earth."

* * *

As they ran to find Rose and Martha's family and to stop the Master from whatever he was planning, the Doctor began to hear a familiar melody. He stopped in his tracks.

"We've no time for sightseeing," Jack chastised.

He held up his hands. "No, wait. Sh, sh, sh, sh. Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?"

Martha moved past them saying, "Doctor, my family's on board."

"Brilliant," the Doctor stated as he began to take off to his right. "This way." They ran down the level 4 gangway, opened the door at the end, and were greeted with the sight of the TARDIS. "Oh, at last!" he shouted.

"Oh, yes!" Martha exclaimed while Jack questioned what the blue box was doing aboard the Valiant.

They all raced forward, with the Doctor in the lead, to make their way inside. What they found in the bigger on the inside ship was truly horrible. The entire control room as shrouded in an eery red light and the whole console was completely caged in, with wires poking out of every direction.

"What the hell's he done?" Jack asked aloud what they were all thinking.

"Don't touch it!" the Doctor commanded.

"I'm not going to."

"What's he done though?" Martha questioned as they moved further inside. The ship's normal hum was replaced by a low groan. "Sounds like it's sick. And like she's... mourning..."

The Doctor was deathly pale as he tried to deny what was right in front of him. "It can't be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can't be."

"Doctor, what is it?"

"He's cannibalised the TARDIS."

Jack looked at the caged console and put the pieces together in his mind. "Is this what I think it is?"

"It's a paradox machine," the Doctor said through grated teeth. He found the gauge on the metal mesh cage. "As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed, it'll trigger at two minutes past eight."

"First contact is at eight, then two minutes later..."

Martha walked around the console and asked, "What's it for? What does a paradox machine do?"

"More important, can you stop it?"

The Time Lord shook his head and listened to his ship. "Not till I know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit, blow up the solar system. You're right thought, Martha. The TARDIS is devastated over something."

Martha bent down next to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then we've got to get to the Master."

"Yeah. How are we going to stop him?" Jack asked.

The Doctor looked up at the Captain. "Oh, I've got a way. Sorry, didn't I mention it?"

* * *

They quietly made their way onto the flight deck as President Winters made his address to the world. After they got to the back of the room Jack asked, "This plan, you going to tell us?"

The Doctor scanned the room and found the Master sitting comfortably next to his wife. Unfortunately there was no sign of Rose. "If I can get this around the Master's neck," he gestured to his key, "cancel out his perception, they'll see him for real. It's just hard to go unnoticed with everyone on red alert. If they stop me you've got a key."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll get him,"Martha said deeply.

"I just wish I knew where Rose was," the Doctor sighed.

* * *

The Doctor slowly began moving towards the Master as the President introduced the Toclafane and four spheres appeared. "My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon," he said.

**"You're not the Master,"** one of the spheres stated.

**"We like the Mister Master."**

**"We don't like you."**

The President stayed calm. "I can be master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you, if that is God's will."

**"Man is stupid." **

**"Master is our friend." **

**"Where's my Master, pretty please?" **

Just as the Doctor was behind the Master, the man in question stood up and made his way to the front of the room saying, "Oh, all right then. It's me. Ta da! Sorry, sorry, I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don't know. It's crazy."

"Saxon, what are you talking about?" the President asked.

The Master turned around to face him. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you. Kill him." One of the sphere shot forward and fired a laser at the President, blowing the man to pieces. The master began laughing and applauding. "Guards," he cried out as the room turned to chaos. The guards blocked the exits and ordered for nobody to move as the raised their guns. "Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully."

The Doctor took off his key and lunged forward, hoping he could get it around the other Time Lord's neck, but was stopped and grabbed by two guards on either side of him.

"We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I love saying that. Although, after spending so much time with Rosie I feel like I already know this version of you!" the Master taunted gleefully.

"Stop it! Stop it now and give her back to me!" he screamed.

"As if a perception filter's going to work on me. And look," he nodded to the back of the room, "it's the girlie and the freak. Although, I'm not sure which one's which." Jack raced forward but was zapped but the Master's screwdriver. "Laser screwdriver. Who'd have sonic? And the good thing is, he's not dead for long. I get to kill him again!"

"Master, just calm down," the Doctor tired reasoning. "Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself-"

Looking at the nearest camera, the Master said, "Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go."

The guards threw him done and the Doctor scrambled to his knees. "It's that sound. The sound in your head. What if I could help?"

"What, like you helped your precious Rose?" the other Time Lord asked. "Oh, but she never told you, did she? She could never bother her beloved Doctor with such trivial things such as an odd drumming in her head!"

"Please, Master. Where is she? Just bring her to me. Please?"

"Do you really want to see her? It's not pretty."

"What have you done?" the Doctor growled.

"Me?" The Master sounded shocked. "Why _I've _done nothing. It was your silly little girlfriend's fault. I told her, I said, 'Rose if you want to see the Doctor again, be a good little girl and wait for him to show up.' But did she listen? Of course not. Honestly, I was going to let you two see each other again, but she got it in her head that she was going to escape and stop my plans." The Master looked to his guards and ordered, "Bring her in."

The men obeyed and not a moment later, one of the guards carried in the lifeless Rose Tyler.

* * *

Jack gasped back to life just as they laid her body down. Bile rose in his throat as he saw the mutilated remains. She was barely in one piece. Her blonde hair matted down by both fresh and already drying blood.

Martha began sobbing as Jack clutched her close.

* * *

The Doctor could only stare. He was vaguely aware of a loud screaming and only realised a moment later that it was his own voice crying out.

"She just wouldn't listen," the Master stated over his old friend's cries. "Ran into the Toclafane and tried to take them down single handedly. See, she had given up on you rescuing her, Doctor. And my poor babies, they were just trying to defend themselves! If only she had waited a bit longer." He rolled his eyes as the Doctor continued to cry out. "Oh, how to shut him up? I know. Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, ooo, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do." He opened a metal case and revealed the Doctor's hand in a jar. "I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?"

The Master pointed his screwdriver at the Doctor who began rapidly convulsing.

* * *

Jack handed Martha the Vortex Manipulator and said, "Teleport."

"I can't," she said through her tears.

"Look at what happened to Rose. That will be you next. Get out!"

Before she could answer him the Doctor fell to the floor looking one hundred years older. Martha crawled forward and grabbed him. "Doctor? I've got you."

"Ah, she's a would be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we've flown them in all the way from prison," the Master told her as he gestured to the doors.

Martha stood and saw her parents and sister enter. "Mum," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," the older woman sobbed.

The Doctor sat up and rasped out, "The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?"

Bending down, the Master placed his hand on the Doctor's chest. "Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break. Rose's certainly did."

The sphere's reappeared and asked, **"Is it time? Is it ready?" **

**"Is the machine singing?" **

He checked his watch and addressed the camera once more, "Two minutes past. So, Earthlings. Basically, um, end of the world. Here come the drums!"

The song 'Voodoo Child' began blaring through the speakers as a tear appeared in the sky above the Valiant and thousands of spheres poured out.

The Master knelt down and placed a gentle kiss to Rose's bloody forehead and said, "Thanks for the help, Rosie." He then moved to join his wife at the nearest window.

* * *

As the Master ordered for one tenth of the world's population to be removed, the Doctor knew there was only one choice left. He hated it. It wasn't fair to her. But she was the Earth's only hope now. Because the one thing the Doctor believed in was gone. He had no reason to go on. But, he had another companion to think about and his angel would have hated him if he didn't try to save the day.

Pulling Martha down, the Doctor quickly whispered his plan in her ear.

She gave a brief nod and slowly backed away.

In the background she heard a woman's frantic voice come over a speaker saying, **_"Valiant, this is Geneva. We're getting slaughtered down here. Valiant, report. Help us. For God's sake, help us! They'reeverywhere!"_**

Another voice followed**,****_"This is London, Valiant. This is London calling. What do we do? They're killing us! The Toclafane are all around. They're killing us."_**

She looked to Jack, her newest friend, but oh she cared about him so much already.

She looked to her family. Why hadn't she just been honest with them from the start?

She looked to the gruesome sight of her dearest friend. _Oh, Rose..._

She finally spared the Doctor one last glance. He was asking a lot of her and she knew he hated it. But there was no other choice. This would be her job and her's alone. She would fight in the names of the Doctor and Rose Tyler.

Martha hit the strap on her wrist and disappeared.

* * *

Martha landed back on Earth and watched as destruction rained down around her. "I'm coming back," she vowed.

* * *

Back on the Valiant the Doctor's and Jack's eyes met. The pain and grief visible in both men. The woman they loved was dead.

* * *

All the Doctor wanted to do was lie beside his Rose and join her in her everlasting sleep, but the Master had other plans. He dragged him up the stairs and held him up to the window to watch the slaughter down below. With his wife on the other side of the Doctor the Master stated calmly, "And so it came to pass that the human race fell, and the Earth was no more. And I looked down upon my new dominion as Master of all, and I thought it good."

And then, unknown to the Time Lords, a wolf howled.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Conversations with Rose.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	29. Conversations With Rose

**A/N: Many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed! I adore you all. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC.**

* * *

_It was late at night. Martha and Billy had long gone to bed and Rose should have been asleep herself, but found she was wide awake. This was the reason she and the Doctor were lying side by side in bed, asking each other various questions._

_"Tell me something I don't know about you."_

_"Like what?"_

_"I don't know. Who was your first kiss?"_

_Rose rolled her eyes. So that's what he was getting at. Even though they had grown up together, Mickey had done the same thing when they had officially started dating. "Marcus Malone. We were thirteen and he had no idea how to kiss. So basically, he ended smushing his lips against mine."_

_The Doctor nodded his head and then asked, "What about your first real kiss? A kiss that meant something?"_

_"Jimmy Stone," she replied quietly._

_"The bloke you left school for?"_

_"Yep."_

_"How old were you?"_

_"Fifteen... He was nineteen."_

_"Seriously?" The Doctor sat up enough to lean on his elbows and look down on her._

_"Have a problem with age differences, Doctor?" she teased. He didn't respond and instead just laid back down. "It was a pretty big mistake. I moved in with him two months later and then six months after that it was over."_

_Rolling onto his side, he asked, "What ended it?"_

_Rose took a deep breath, "Caught him foolin' around with another girl. That didn't surprise me or anything," she added when she saw the Doctor's eyes grow dark. "I knew he wasn't faithful. He was a musician and a total party guy. I knew he messes around, he just didn't usually do it at our flat. So when I actually caught him, he just shrugged it off and left me for her. It wasn't too bad, I had met her before and she was a right cow so it wasn't like she was better then me or nothin'. Although, I did feel a little guilty for never warning her how he could get after a few drinks. He also left me in debt and that was a pain to deal with."_

_"And how could he get after a few drinks?" the Doctor asked sharply._

_"Just a bit violent. Never roughed me up too bad."_

_Rose suddenly found herself crushed into the Doctor's chest. "Rose, why didn't you ever tell me?"_

_"Like I said," she mumbled into his chest, "it was never too bad and I just don't think about it much anymore."_

_"I don't understand why you would stay with him for as long as you did."_

_"Cause I didn't think I would find anyone better. Didn't think I deserved better. But, then I met this strange man in the basement of my work. Turned out the strange man was a time traveling alien who ended up showing me I was worth so much more than I thought."_

_The Doctor cupped her cheek. "You are worth everything, Rose." With that he kissed her. Kissed her with such passion, Rose imagined he was trying to wipe away any trace of Jimmy Stone that might have lingered._

_When they finally broke apart a few minutes later, Rose rested her head on his chest and said, "Tell me something I don't know about you."_

_"There's a lot you don't know, Rose," he replied sadly._

_"Who was the first person you ever traveled with in the TARDIS?"_

_"Susan."_

_"Was she pretty?"_

_"Beautiful."_

_"Oh."_

_The Doctor smirked at his silly human as she tried acting nonchalant. "She was my granddaughter." _

_Now it was Rose's turn to sit up and look surprised. "Really? Susan sounds like a human name."_

_"Ah yes, she took on that name during one of our travels. Fascinated with humans, she was." He got a wistful look in his eye. "Her birth name was Arkytior."_

_"That's lovely," Rose said, loving the way his language rolled off his tongue._

_"Her name meant Rose actually," he stated with a chuckle._

_Rose laughed. "Seriously? I like her more and more."_

_"You would have," he said sobering up. "You would have really liked her."_

_Curling back into his side, Rose said, "Tell me more about her."_

The Doctor watched the past version of himself and Rose from a few feet away and fought back the traitorous tears that threatened to fall.

"That was one of the best nights in 1969 by far," a familiar female voice said out of nowhere.

The Doctor looked to his right and saw the image of his pink and yellow human next to him. "Rose!" he exclaimed while lunging to grab her and hold her tight.

She backed away from him sadly. "I'm just an image. No touch."

"But... but..."

"I don't make the rules."

"But this is my dream! I should be able to touch you if I want!" he whinged, sounding like a petulant child.

She gave a light laugh, "I'm sorry, love. It's just the way it works."

"Now I know I'm dreaming."

"What do you mean?"

"You never called me love."

"No... But I always wanted to."

"Maybe." He shrugged. He would never know the truth since this is his dream version of Rose. Dream version or not he needed to make the most of his time with her. "I miss you." He then looked around and realised that they had moved to the couches in TARDIS library.

"Thought we might be more comfortable here," she told him, guessing his thoughts. "And I miss you too, by the way."

"You're dead, Rose," he said abruptly. "I was too late and now you're dead."

Rose fell to her knees in front of him. "Hush now. It was not your fault."

"How could you say that? Of course it was my fault."

"My Doctor. He always carries the weight of the universe on his shoulders and thinks every death is his fault."

"Most are," he said darkly.

"Stop it! You barely sleep these days, I don't get many opportunities to talk to you and I want to make the most of our time together."

"I'll sleep all the time if it means getting to see you, Rose."

She gave him a light smile and moved to sit next to him on the couch. "Tell me a story," she requested.

* * *

_"Have you ever been in love, Jack? I mean for reals love. Not just shagging love."_

_"Once. Why do you ask?" The pair were lounging in the TARDIS pool while the Doctor was making some "necessary" adjustments to the TARDIS's navigational system. Jack claimed the Time Lord just couldn't control himself around Rose in her pink bikini. _

_"Just wondering..."_

_Jack didn't buy it. He swam up next to where she was sitting on a step and threw his arm around her shoulders. "Have you ever been?"_

_"I thought so," she answered softly. "If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said yes. But now..."_

_"But now you travel and live with a ruggedly handsome alien with a Northern accent and you've realised that the love you thought you felt before was nothing compared to what you feel now?"_

_Rose laughed at his accuracy. "Maybe," she said with a tongue and teeth grin. Her eyes widened as she added, "But don't you dare say anything, Jack Harkness!"_

_"Won't say a word, sweetheart," he promised. "But you should."_

_"I can't, Jack. He doesn't think about me like that. I mean, we're close and all, but he's a Time Lord and I'm just a silly ape."_

_"Rose, there are two things in this universe that I'm absolutely certain of. The first, I love to have a good time. The second, the Doctor loves Rose Tyler."_

"I didn't believe you," Rose said appearing next to the future version of Jack, who was sitting on a lounge chair observing the old friends in their younger days. Jack felt tears prick his eyes as when he saw this version of Rose. The last time he saw the real version of her was back on the flight deck of the Valiant. Her body had been so bloody and broken she was practically unrecognisable. "Don't cry," she told him when she saw how upset he was.

"God, I miss you so much, sweetheart," he choked out.

"I miss you too."

"You know right? You know what's really happened to you?"

"I know," she said calmly before adding, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" he practically shouted. "What the hell are you sorry for? Rose, we were the ones... We were the ones who were too late in rescuing you. I should have started looking for you as soon as we arrived back to present day."

"Should haves... Maybes... What ifs... They really make no difference. This was always going to happen, Jack."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Rose moved so they were sharing the same chair now. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Anything. Something amusing."

"Well then, Have I got a story for you. It was Martha's first trip in the TARDIS and the Doctor took us back to meet Shakespeare-"

Jack interrupted. "Shakespeare, huh? Always fancied meeting him."

"Trust me, Jack. You would have _loved _him."

* * *

_"So what made you want to be a doctor?"_

_The three time travellers had just got back to the TARDIS after a long day of running for their lives. They had landed on a tiny plant called Belsar. The planet was supposed to be quite the tourist stop, seeing how the plant was filled with these lovely little hot springs which were supposed to have "healing" properties. The Doctor had claimed them to be complete rubbish on that front but were still nice to take a dip in. Only the TARDIS got the dates a bit wrong and they ended up getting there a few thousand years earlier in the height of Belsar's own revolutionary war against their oppressive government. There wasn't much they could do in terms of stopping the war. The Doctor claimed it had to happen and the end was still a few years off, but they were able to help some of the sick and wounded Belsarians. _

_The inhabitants were humanoid in shape, the only difference being their bright yellow skin tone. Martha had quickly stepped up to help under the guidance of the Doctor, who was able to inform of the biological differences she might encounter. Rose hadn't helped with the medical side, but instead sat and read stories to some of the orphaned children who had taken refuge at the base camp they had found. It had been a long, exhausting day and while they felt bad about not being able to do more, they were all glad to be back at the TARDIS._

_"Dunno, really." Martha shrugged. "Just wanted to help people and I figured that would be the best route. Plus," she added, "I'm a bit of an overachiever."_

_The Doctor let out a laugh. "Martha Jones, you were brilliant today. Now I shall leave you ladies to your tea, while I go tighten up the spatial conductor on the console."_

_"Do you guys do that a lot?" Martha asked after he left the kitchen. "End of in the middle of war zones, I mean."_

_Rose took a sip of her tea before answering, "Not always. My mum once said that we went looking for trouble, but the Doctor told her that trouble was just the bits in-between. And he was right."_

_"Yeah, but he meant to take us to planet filled with hot springs, instead we were in the middle of a war zone. I'll be honest with you, I was terrified." _

_"So was I!" she laughed. "The hot springs would have been nice, but clearly we were needed at that base camp. Martha, today you helped save lives. If we hadn't been there to help who knows what might have happened."_

_"It's all just a lot to wrap my head around I suppose."_

_"Trust me, I know."_

"I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it all."

Martha tore her eyes away from the women at table in the TARDIS and looked to the blonde woman sitting on the counter. "Rose!" she exclaimed.

Rose have a small wave. "Hello."

"Oh my god, am I dead already?"

"No, Martha. You're just sleeping."

"So you're a dream then?... You're really?..."

"I am," Rose said solemnly.

"It's not-" Martha bit back a sob. "It's not fair!"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm so tired, Rose. It's only been a week and I'm so tired. How am I supposed to do what the Doctor asked all on my own?"

Rose jumped off the counter and moved to face her friend. "Martha Jones. You. Are. Brilliant." She took a deep breath. "Now I'm not going to lie to you, this will not be easy. It's going to be the worst year of your life, but you are brave and strong. You can do anything. You can save the world."

* * *

"It's been three months, Doctor. You have to focus," the dream Rose nagged as the Doctor was watching a past version of himself and Rose laying across his spread out coat in the apple grass of New Earth.

"That was one of my best moments," he told her, ignoring her statement.

"Mine too," she agreed quietly with a sigh.

"That was when I stopped feeling scared about you excepting this version of me."

"We had two whole weeks back at mum's while you repaired the TARDIS... I thought I had made it more clear to you."

"But like you said, that was back at your mum's. I was worried about how you might feel once we were traveling again." He paused for a moment. "I know I need to focus harder on attuning myself in the psychic network but when I do that I don't get to see you in my dreams."

Rose closed her eyes sadly for a moment before asking, "Should I stop visiting you, then?"

"No!" he practically shouted. "I need you Rose, even if you're only a figment of my dreams. I _need _you."

* * *

Jack opened his eyes and was met with the inside of his old Chula warship. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes," he said with a wink when he saw his blonde friend draped across the captain's chair.

She rolled her eyes. "Took you long enough. I've been waiting for ages."

"Hey! It's not my fault I've been busy. I died four times today."

Rose's face suddenly dropped. "Oh, Jack. I told you to be more careful. I told you not to taunt!"

"Don't cry, Rose," he told her when he saw the tears that had welled in her eyes. He reached forward to pull her in for a hug, forgetting what she had told him in a past dream about just being an image. "Sorry," he muttered when his hands went through her. "I forgot."

"Trying to get handsy with me, even in death? What would the Doctor say?" she said teasingly.

"Speaking of the Doc, I saw him today. Gotta tell you though, for an old bloke, doesn't look too shabby."

Rose gave a small giggle. "Jack, I think we would think the Doctor was handsome no matter what he looked like. Besides, the TARDIS showed me a picture of him towards the end of his first incarnation. Very distinguished."

"If we ever get out of this mess, maybe I'll ask the old girl to show me."

"You will get out of this, Jack," she assured. "Don't give up on the Doctor, now. Everything will be alright."

"Oh, I'm not giving up on him but nothing will ever be alright again."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we won't have you."

* * *

"I was in New York briefly today."

"Really?" Rose asked from her place on the stage at the Globe Theatre.

Martha nodded. "Walked through Central Park. Seems they've set up a sort of Hooverville type city again. All I could think of was Frank, and Laszlo, and Tallulah."

"Three Ls and an H," the blonde laughed.

"Yep! God, I can't believe it's only been five months since I last left the Valiant. I wish I knew if my family was okay."

"Everyone's fine, Martha. Right now you just need to focus on yourself and the job the Doctor gave you."

"That's easy for you to say!" she admonished. "You're just a dream. Of course you would reassure me that my family is alright when there's a very real possibility that they're dead."

"You can't think like that," Rose commanded her. "You have to have hope, Martha."

"I'm trying, Rose. But it's so, so hard. I wish you were really here with me."

"I know."

* * *

"You're very quiet," Rose observed as she and the Doctor sat in the control room of the TARDIS.

"Just thinking about stuff," he replied back.

"Text book enigmatic," she said playfully. "Come on, you can tell me..."

"It's just something the Master said to me earlier.

"Uh oh. What did the prat want today?"

"Do you remember the prophecy made about you on that sanctuary base?"

"The one about me dying in battle? How could I forget?" she told him darkly.

"It came true."

She sighed. "What do you mean?"

"The _valiant_ child who would die in battle." He looked straight at her. "I lied to you, Rose. I told you that creature was lying because I wanted it to be lying. Then I just shoved the thought away. If I didn't think about it, it wouldn't come true. But then, because I couldn't protect you better, you died in battle anyway."

"I knew it wasn't lying, but I wanted to believe you. Then I thought that maybe it meant since I was on the list of the dead after the Battle of Canary Wharf. Guess not." She shrugged lightly.

"This is my dream! How can you stay so calm about this?" he asked sounding slightly perturbed.

"What's the point of getting upset about it now? There's nothing we can do. There is nothing you can do to save me, Doctor. So now you've got to focus on saving the world."

He felt a lump in his throat. "I could save the world but I'll still have lost you."

"You have to forgive him, Doctor," Rose told him kindly.

"Excuse me?"

"You could still try to save him."

"Why are you telling me all this."

"He was your friend once. And he's a Time Lord."

"I don't care."

She smiled knowingly at him. "Yes, you do."

"Nothing matters if I don't have you. You told me you would stay with me for forever," he accused.

"You'll be waking up soon. Remember what I told you... Forgive him."

* * *

"So this is what Torchwood looks like now, huh?" Rose asked as she wandered around Jack's workplace.

"Well, the Cardiff branch. This is the Hub," the Captain told her as he gave her a small tour before taking her back to his office.

"I like it. Very homey. So why here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've never dreamed of us here before. I was just wondering why here now? Why now?"

"I'm worried about my team," he finally admitted after a few moments of silence.

"What are their names?"

"Tosh, Owen, Gwen, and Ianto."

"And would Ianto happen to look mighty fine in a suit?"

Jack narrowed his eyes. "Why do you ask?"

Rose nodded to a picture of the two men on Jack's desk. "Ah."

"You must miss him terribly."

"I miss them all. They're my little make-shift dysfunctional family." He sighed. "Seven months. It's been seven months."

"The Doctor has a plan, Jack. You'll see."

* * *

Rose looked around Martha's childhood home. Martha and her sister were having a tea party on a spread out blanket, while a very young Leo was sprawled out next to them playing with his cars. She could see her parents curled up together on a small sofa, watching their children play happily.

"This was back when we were still a family," her friend explained to her.

"You're still a family, Martha," Rose told her. "Nothing can change that."

"I mean a proper family. Five years from this moment and my dad will leave my mum for another woman."

"If the Doctor was here he would make some sort of comment about humans and the awful choices they make."

Martha gave a small chuckle. "I can't believe it's been nine months since I've seen him. Nine months since I've seen my family. And even then, the last time I really spent any time with them was before I left with you and the Doctor."

"Do you regret coming with us?"

"Honestly? Sometimes." Rose just nodded as Martha continued, "You're dead, Rose. And my family is probably being tortured as we speak. Lord only knows what's happened to Leo. And I can't help but think about how different it all would be if I had never gone with you in the Doctor. At the very least, I wish I would have been honest with them about it all." She took a deep breath, but then I think about all the wonderful things we've done and seen and I wouldn't have wanted to miss all that for anything!"

"The Doctor is worth the monsters," Rose mused.

"What was that?"

"Just something I was told once."

* * *

"It is a completely stupid and reckless idea!"

"Well, now who's being the rude one, Rose Tyler?"

"Someone is going to get hurt or worse killed!" Dream Rose was fuming. The Doctor had just told her about his, Jack's and the Jones family's idea to take the Master's laser screwdriver. "Do you honestly think this idiotic plan will work?"

"I have to try something!" he shouted back to her. "I need to get him to listen to me."

"This isn't the way to go about it!" They were in her old flat back at the Powell Estate and Rose was pacing back and forth and looking scarily close to Jackie Tyler. The Doctor would never tell her this, mind. He may be a bit thick but he wasn't _that _thick. "The year is almost over," she added quietly as she stopped in front of him.

"Trust me, Rose. This will work."

"I bet you five quid it won't."

He gave a small chuckle and looked at her lovingly. "Deal."

"What made you dream of this place?" Rose asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Just missing you, like always."

They stared at each other for a few moments, small, sad smiles playing on their lips when she finally confessed openly, "I love you."

"Quite right too," he responded, his voice laced heavily with emotion. "And I suppose, if I'll only get to tell you in my dreams, Rose Tyler-"

* * *

"Wakey-wakey, Doctor!" the Master voice rang through his tent.

The Doctor opened his eyes and felt a single tear trickle down his cheek.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Last of the Time Lords.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	30. Last of the Time Lords

**A/N: Big thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such kind and wonderful reviews. This chapter was another rough one for me. I took a different approach to it and had to stop and walk away several times while writing and editing. I hope you all like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the episode Last of the Time Lords. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

One year. It's been one year since she's been home. Sort of. This isn't the home she remembers. This isn't the home she dreams about. This is more like a nightmare. A living nightmare. And if she fails at the task the Doctor appointed her, then it's only going to get worse.

It's been a long, lonely year. At least she's had her dreams to keep her going. Rose often made an appearance in those dreams. Always there to encourage her and give her the strength to face a new day. To be fair, she has also met some very kind people in the "real world." Like the bloke who's driving her to meet Professor Docherty. Tom Milligan, formally a paediatrics doctor. Go figure. She _would _end up travelling with a doctor. Still, he's nice... and handsome. No point in growing too attached to him though. While the Master's still in control, not a single person is safe. Not even the charming Tom Milligan.

_Stupid, Martha! That was plain stupid! _Martha chastised herself as soon as the words, "Is there a Mrs Milligan?" came out of her mouth. Now is _not _the time to be flirting. _Stay focused, _she ordered herself. She was almost done. Soon she would see the Doctor and, hopefully, her family again. She felt a pang when she realised that she would not being seeing Rose. She silently vowed, _We'll stop him, Rose. For you, we'll stop him._

* * *

As soon as the Doctor heard the music being blasted through the Valiant, he knew what was coming next. A bell. That damn bell that meant the Master wanted him to crawl out of his tent like a dog. It was humiliating, like the Master wanted, and as he crawled on his hands and knees the Doctor sent a silent thanks that at that moment, Rose wasn't there to see it. Then he realised what he had just thought. He immediately took it back. He would give anything to have Rose back at his side. Even if it meant, staying in the elderly state he was in and living in a tent. He just wanted his Rose back and alive.

The dreams were nice. They've kept him going this past year. But they're not enough. Not touching has been horrible for him. They're relationship had always been so physical. Not in a sexual sense, it was so much more. Holding hands, hugging, leaning on each other for support. Jackie used to joke that the Doctor must have magnets in their clothes and that's why they were always attached at the hip.

_Oh, Jackie, _he sighed. He deserved worse than that slap she gave him. He thought of her, tucked away in that parallel universe, completely unaware that her daughter had been murdered. Maybe that was for the best. She could live out the rest of her life naively thinking that the Doctor had kept his promise to her and kept Rose safe. There was a part of him however, that wanted her to know. Wanted her to slap him and yell at him and tell him all the horrible things about himself that were absolutely true.

He thought of what Rose had said to him the first time he had dreamed of her on the Valiant, _"My Doctor. He always carries the weight of the universe on his shoulders and thinks every death is his fault." _She clearly thought otherwise. _My Rose. Always sees the best in me and forgives me for the worst._

The Master forcing him into a wheelchair and rolling him around the deck brought him back to the present. "It's ready to rise, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire. It's good, isn't it? Isn't it good? Anything? No? Anything? Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they, those Toclafane, ever since you worked out what they really are. They certainly broke Rose's heart. They say Martha Jones has come back home. Now why would she do that?" the Master asked.

"Leave her alone," the Doctor ordered.

"But you said something to her, didn't you? On the day I took control. What did you tell her?"

_Forgive him._ Rose's voice floated through his ear. "I have one thing to say to you. You know what it is."

"Oh no, you don't!" the Master said as he pushed the Doctor's chair away. "Come on, people! What are we doing? Launch Day in twenty four hours."

While the other Time Lord wasn't looking, the Doctor held three fingers up to his leg. Francine gave a sly nod before passing the message along to her ex-husband, who would then hopefully pass the message along to Tish, who would get the message to Jack. Dream Rose had told the Doctor that it was a stupid idea. And she was obviously right. In reality it was _his _dream telling him that. But he had to try something!

* * *

_I owe Rose five quid, _the Doctor thought to himself. At least in his dreams he could always have money on him. He had technically still owed her for the "not amused," comment in Scotland. She had loved teasing him about it and it had become a running joke with her that he never had the money to pay her back. But the dream had been right. The plan didn't work and now the Jones family were probably being tortured for it. Jack, he was sure, had been killed. Probably brutally too. And now the Master wanted to send a message to Martha. The Doctor prayed that whatever horrible thing the Master wanted to do, it would be solely done to him and not her family. He would hate for Martha to see that after everything she's done and been thorough this past year.

* * *

Martha tried her hardest not to ogle Tom's bum as she followed him into the building that Professor Docherty had taken up residency in. She could practically hear Rose giggling in her ear. How many times had Martha sent a smirk and an eye roll to the blonde woman when she caught her doing the same to the Doctor when he would run in front of them. _Focus, Martha_ she reminded herself as the walked in the building an found an older tired looking woman working on a television.

"Professor Docherty?" Tom asked cautiously.

"Busy," was the woman's curt reply.

"They, uh, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones."

"She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy."

Martha took a deep breath and said, "Televisions don't work anymore."

Docherty ignored her. "Oh God, I miss Countdown. Never been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural for Des? Desi? Deseen? But we've been told there's going to be a transmission from the man himself." She hit the box and suddenly a static filled black and white image appeared on the screen. "There!"

**_"My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope." _**

The Master's words sent chills down Martha's spine.

**_"But I ask you, how much hope has this man got?"_** The Doctor appeared on screen as the Master continued talking, **_"Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. But what if it showed?" _**He turned his attention away from the camera and onto the Doctor. **_"What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?" _**After resetting his laser screw driver, he pointed it at the Doctor, causing the other Time Lord to fall into a fit of convulsions, as he rapidly began aging. **_"Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years." _**Finally the convulsions subsided as the Doctor's clothes lay rumpled on the ground. A moment later a small creature with large eyes peaked out of the clothes.**_ "Doctor," _**the Master acknowledged before turning his attention back to the camera. **_"Received and understood, Miss Jones?"_**

* * *

The flight deck was empty now. His tent and been pushed away as the Doctor was now kept in a small bird cage. He had tried sleeping, hoping to have his dreams filled with a loving and comforting Rose. He was sorely disappointed. The sound of the main door opening broke the silence that had surrounded him. The Master and his wife, Lucy, stepped out. The poor woman. Gone was the naively cheerful girl from a year ago. Now she was like a broken, timid animal, just waiting to be attacked.

The Master stepped closer, leaving his wife behind him, as he said, "Tomorrow, they launch. We're opening up a rift in the Braccatolian space. They won't see us coming. It kind of scary."

"Then stop," the Doctor told him.

"Once the Empire is established, and there's a new Gallifrey in the heavens, maybe then it stops." The Master stepped closer to the cage and looked into the Doctor's large eyes. "The drumming. The never ending drumbeat. Ever since I was a child. I looked into the vortex. That's when it chose me. The drumming, the call to war. Can't you hear it? Listen, it's there now. Right now. Tell me you can hear it, Doctor. Tell me."

The Doctor clutched the bars of his small prison. "It's only you."

"Good. But you're forgetting our Rose. She could hear them too."

The door opened once more as a "toclafane" sphere entered the room. **"Tomorrow, the war. Tomorrow we rise, never to fall." **

"You see?" the Master said. "I'm doing it for them. You should be grateful. After all, you love them so very, very much." He sat down in the closest chair and made himself comfortable. "I took Lucy and Rose to Utopia. A Time Lord and his human companions. I took Lucy to see the stars. Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

The frail woman looked off into the distance and answered mechanically, "Trillions of years into the future, to the end of the universe."

"Tell him what you saw."

"Dying. Everything dying. The whole of creation was falling apart, and I thought, there's no point. No point to anything. Not ever." Lucy shivered as she added, "She wouldn't stop crying."

The Doctor knew she was talking about Rose and felt every ounce of guilt that the Master laid on him as his old friend told him, "And it's all your fault. You should have seen it, Doctor. Furnaces burning. The last of humanity screaming at the dark. All that human invention that had sustained them across the eons. It all turned inwards. They cannibalised themselves."

**"We made ourselves so pretty,"** the sphere injected.

The Master continued, "Regressing into children. But it didn't work. The universe was collapsing around them. And, oh, how Rose cried. Lucy begged me to save them, but Rose wouldn't have it. 'Can't interfere,' she tried telling me. 'You're going to create a paradox,' she said. And she was right, of course. Kudos on training her by the way. But then came my brilliance. My masterpiece, Doctor. A living TARDIS, strong enough to hold the paradox in place, allowing the past and the future to collide in infinite majesty."

"But you're changing history," the Doctor rasped out. "Not just Earth, the entire universe."

"I'm a Time Lord. I have that right."

"But even then, why come all this way just to destroy?"

**"We come backwards in time all to build a brand new empire lasting one hundred trillion years,"** the sphere answered.

"With me as their master. Time Lord and humans combined. Haven't you always dreamt of that, Doctor?" the Master asked before standing and glaring at the Doctor. " Human race, greatest monsters of them all." He turned to walk out of the room. "Night, then."

* * *

Creet. That horrible sphere, that had killed so many, was the sweet little boy they had met at the Silo. Martha thought of his excited face as he answered her question of Utopia. _"The skies are made of diamonds!_" he had told her. It all made perfect sense now as she explained everything to Tom and Professor Docherty after they had caught the sphere. About how the TARDIS was turned into a paradox machine so that the former "humans" from Utopia could kill their human ancestors without consequence to themselves.

When Martha was done explaining Docherty said to her, "I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones. The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?"

Now it was time to lay the trap. Martha felt terrible about the lie she was about to tell, but it was necessary. She hoped that one day she would be able to apologize to Tom for deceiving him, and to let the Professor know that she didn't blame her one bit for what she would do after Martha and Tom left. And so Martha began her tale of a gun in four parts...

* * *

He was in the TARDIS control room once more, but this time it was dark. Almost like when they had crashed in the parallel world. Almost dead, but not quite. He had been hoping that Rose would be here waiting for him, but the room was empty. "Rose?" he called out. "Rose, please. I need you."

_"I want you safe. My Doctor."_

The Doctor swung around at the sound of her voice, but she was still no where to be seen. "Rose, please."

_"Everything must come to dust. All things. Everything dies."_

"Rose, stop now!"

_"How can I let go of this?"_

"Why are you doing this?" he shouted.

_"I can see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be." _

The Doctor cried as he fell to his knees.

_"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself."_

* * *

The Doctor woke from his dream as the lights of the flight deck suddenly turned on. The Master crept up to him, wearing a silk dressing gown. "Guess what?" he asked. "I found her! Ha! Your precious Martha finally messed up and now she's mine."

* * *

Martha and Tom made it safely to the slave quarters in Bexley. Rest was out of the question as Martha was bombarded with questions of the Master as soon as she arrived. Martha sat amongst her fellow humans and told them the story she had spread across the world.

"I travelled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe," she told them all. "And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong, because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. He was not always alone though. There was a girl who travelled with him as well. The Bad Wolf, she was once called. But she wasn't bad at all. She was so good. And she made him better. I saw what they could do together and it was amazing. She's gone now though and the Doctor is fighting in her name."

Suddenly a woman came rushing forward crying out, "It's him! It's him! Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master. He's here."

"But he never comes to Earth. He never walks upon the ground," a boy said in disbelief.

"Hide her!" the woman commanded, pointing to Martha.

"Use this," Tom told them as he threw an old sack forward.

"He walks among us, our lord and master," the boy said, his voice laced with fear.

Martha tried to take calming breaths as she hid under the blanket. The Master's voice rang out from the street. "Martha. Martha Jones. I can see you! Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master. Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions." They street was surrounded by armed soldiers who were ready to take out anyone in their way. "I'll give the order," the Master announced, "unless you surrender. Ask yourself. What would the Doctor do? And don't forget dear Rosie! She at least went down fighting."

Oddly, she knew he was right. It was time for Martha Jones to take her stand. She took her TARDIS key off and quickly sat up. She made her way to the front door where Tom was standing guard with his gun. Moving past him, she went outside.

The Master began applauding as soon as he saw her. "Oh, yes. Oh, very well done. Good girl. He trained you well too. Bag," he told her. "Give me the bag. No, stay there. Just throw it," he added when she had started to step forward. Martha did as she was told and watched as the backpack was destroyed by the laser screwdriver. "And now, good companion, your work is done." The Master raised his screwdriver towards her.

Martha shut her eyes and waited but was only met with the sound of a door opening and Tom's voice shouting, "No!"

The Master shot Tom, stopping the brave, human man in his tracks. Giving a laugh, the Time Lord said, "But you, when you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm?" He stopped and took a deep breath. "Almost dawn, Martha, and planet Earth marches to war."

* * *

This was it. It was all done to this moment. Martha slowly made her way onto the flight deck of the Valiant. Her eyes immediately when to her family and saw that, physically, they seemed alright for the moment. Her eyes then went to Jack, who, besides being extremely dirty, appeared alright as well. It was then that she saw the Doctor. He looked so small and weak inside that cage. Martha could only imagine what Rose's reaction would be if she was here. Martha remembered what her friend had told her in that very first dream, _"It's going to be the worst year of your life, but you are brave and strong. You can do anything. You can save the world."_

"Your teleport device, in case you thought I'd forgotten," the Master told her from his place at the top of the stairs. Martha reached into her pocket and pulled out Jack's vortex manipulator. "And now, kneel," he commanded her. "Down below, the fleet is ready to launch. Two hundred thousand ships set to burn across the universe. Are we ready?" he asked into the comm device.

**_"The fleet awaits your signal. Rejoice!" _**was the response given.

"Three minutes to align the black hole converters. Counting down. I never could resist a ticking clock. My children, are you ready?"

**"We will fly and blaze and slice. We will fly and blaze and slice,"** the spheres repeated in unison

The Master turned his attention back to the flight deck. "At zero, to mark this day, the child Martha Jones, will die. My first blood. Any last words? No? Such a disappointment, this one. Days of old, Doctor, you had companions who could absorb the time vortex. She was," he closed his eyes as a shiver went through him, "brilliant. This one's useless. Bow your head," he commanded Martha, pointing his screwdriver at her. "And so it falls to me, as Master of all, to establish from this day, a new order of Time Lords. From this day forward-" Suddenly Martha began quietly laughing. "What. What's so funny?"

She looked up at him and stated, "A gun."

"What about it?"

"A gun in four parts?"

"Yes, and I destroyed it."

"A gun in four parts scattered across the world? I mean, come on," she rolled her eyes, "did you really believe that?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to hide the nerves he was feeling.

The Doctor shook his head and griped the cage. "As if I would ask her to kill."

The Master held his arms out. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. I've got her exactly where I want her."

"But I knew what Professor Docherty would do," Martha said with a smile. "The Resistance knew about her son. I told her about the gun, so she'd get me here at the right time."

"Oh, but you're still going to die!"

"Don't you want to know what I was doing, travelling the world?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Tell me," he said as he sat down.

"I told a story, that's all. No weapons, just words. I did just what the Doctor said. I went across the continents all on my own. And everywhere I went, I found the people, and I told them my story. I told them about the Doctor and the girl he lost. The girl who made him better. And I told them to pass it on, to spread the word so that everyone would know about the Doctor."

"Faith and hope?" the Master mocked. "Is that all?"

Martha shook her head. "No, because I gave them an instruction, just as the Doctor said." She stood up and faced the Master head on. "I told them that if everyone thinks of one word, at one specific time-"

The Master stood as he interrupted, "Nothing will happen. Is that your weapon? Prayer?"

"Right across the world, a word, just one thought at one moment but with fifteen satellites!"

The Time Lord blinked. "What?"

"The Archangel Network," Jack said, a small smile playing on his lips.

"A telepathic field binding the whole human race together," Martha told him, "with all of them, every single person on Earth, thinking the same thing at the same time. And that word is Doctor."

The ticking clock his zero and the Master turned to look at the Doctor, who had begun glowing in his cage. "Stop it. No, no, no, no, you don't."

Jack closed his eyes and whispered, "Doctor." Suddenly everyone in the room, including the Master's wife, began repeating the name. The Captain felt a tear sting his cheek as he swore he heard a quiet, _"Doctor," _that sounded just like Rose.

"Don't," the Master said firmly as the monitors in the room showed people, all across the world, chanting his fellow Time Lord's name. "Stop this right now. Stop it!"

The Doctor, while slowly turning younger, was out of the cage and back to full height. "I've had a whole year to tune myself into the psychic network and integrate with its matrices."

"I order you to stop!"

"The one thing you can't do. Stop them thinking," the Doctor said as he changed back to his normal appearance and hovered above the ground, surrounded by an energy field. "Tell me the human race is degenerate now, when they can do this."

Martha and Jack both laughed in relief as the former ran back and embraced her family.

"No!" the Master cried out while trying to shoot the Doctor with his screwdriver.

The energy field protected him from the attacks as he said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Then I'll kill them," the other Time Lord said as he raised his weapon towards the Jones family. The Doctor used the energy to throw the screwdriver out of the Master's hand. "You can't do this. You can't do it. It's not fair!"

"And you know what happens now."

"No! No! No! No!"

The Doctor floated closer to his old friend, causing the other man to back down the stairs and curl into a ball on the floor. "You wouldn't listen, because you know what I'm going to say." The Doctor knelt down and wrapped his arms around the whimpering Master. "I forgive you."

The Master gripped the Doctor's arm. "My children."

**_"Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox. Protect the paradox,"_** the surrounding spheres chanted.

The Doctor quickly stood and shouted, "Captain, the paradox machine!"

Jack nodded and said to the guards surrounding him, "You men, with me! You stay here," he added to Martha as he ran out of the room.

Turning around, the Doctor saw the Master reach into his pocket and activate the vortex manipulator. "No!" he yelled. Just as the Master began to disappear, he grabbed hold and went with him.

* * *

"Now it ends, Doctor. Now it ends," the Master stated with widespread arms after the landed in a quarry.

The Doctor looked around as sirens sounded in the shipyard. "We've got control of the Valiant. You can't launch."

"Oh, but I've got this." He pulled a small device out of his pocket. "Black hole converter inside every ship. If I can't have this world, Doctor, then neither can you. We shall stand upon this Earth together, as it burns."

* * *

Back on the Valiant, Jack and the guards made it to the TARDIS and sound it being protected by three spheres. They tried shooting at them but found that nothing worked. "Can't get in. We'd get slaughtered," one of the men told Jack.

_"I bring life," _rang through Jack's ears. He chuckled. "Yeah. Happens to me a lot." With that, he ran forward.

* * *

The Doctor took a deep breath as he faced the Master. "Weapon after weapon after weapon. All you do is talk and talk and talk. But over all these years and all these disasters, I've always had the greatest secret of them all. I know you. Explode those ships, you kill yourself. That's the one thing you can never do. You kill others like their flies on the wall, killed my Rose, but never could you hurt yourself." He held out his hand. "Give that to me."

Reluctantly, the Master handed over the black hole converter just as the ground began to shake.

* * *

Jack gasped and leaned heavily on the TARDIS doors as he finally made it inside the ship. Sending a silent apology for any pain he may bring the old girl, he started firing a machine gun at the paradox machine. As soon as the gun emptied, the machine exploded. At that moment, Jack could swear he heard a howling in the distance.

* * *

The Doctor and the Master appeared back on the Valiant just in time for the Doctor to catch a falling Martha. The whole ship was shaking as a violent wind swept through. "Everyone get down!" he shouted. "Time is reversing!"

Martha grabbed the Doctor's hands as they both lay flat on the floor. "For Rose?" she asked, looking into the alien's sad eyes.

He gave a small nod and said just loud enough for her to hear, "Always." As quick as the destruction came, it went. The papers that had been flying around the room, settled on the floor. Slowly the Valiant's occupants began to rise. The Doctor quickly ran and checked the control panel. "The paradox is broken. We've reverted back, one year and one day. Two minutes past eight in the morning."

He turned a comm device on and heard, **_"This is UNIT Central. What's happened up there? We just saw the President assassinated." _**

"Just after the President was killed, but just before the spheres arrived. Everything back to normal. Planet Earth restored. None of it happened. The rockets, the terror. It never was."

Martha looked up and asked, "What about the spheres?"

"Trapped at the end of the universe."

"But I can remember it," Martha's mother said in disbelief.

"We're at the eye of the storm. The only ones who'll ever know. Oh, hello," he greeted when he saw Martha's father.

The Master took advantage of everyone's distraction and made a break for the main door. Just as he was about to exit, the door opened and he was grabbed by Jack.

"Whoa, big fella! You don't want to miss the party," the Captian said before ordering the guards, "Cuffs. So, what do we do with this one?"

"We kill him," Mr. Jones said.

Tish offered, "We execute him."

The Doctor fought back the part of him that wanted to do those exact things. For Rose. But she would _never _want him too. He faced them sadly and said, "No, that's not the solution."

Francine Jones raised the pistol she had found lying on the ground and pointed it at the Master. "Oh, I think so," she said, her voice, thick with emotion. "Because all those things, they still happened because of him. I saw them. I saw your friend's broken body. And all I could picture was one of my children, broken like that. Her mother might not be here, but I am. And I'll do this for her."

"Go on. Do it," the Master told her.

The Doctor swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he made his way next to Martha's mother. "Francine," he whispered, "I knew Rose's mum and while she would greatly appreciate you standing up for her little girl, she would never want you to kill. Do you know why? Because you're better than him." He put his hand on top of her's and slowly lowered the gun. He pulled the woman in for a brief hug before handing her back to her family.

"You still haven't answered the question. What happens to me?" the Master asked.

The Doctor took a deep breath, already hating the words that were about to come out of his mouth. "You're my responsibility from now on. The only Time Lord left in existence."

Jack let go of the Master, and stepped closer to the Doctor. "Yeah, but you can't trust him."

"No," he agreed. "The only safe place for him is the TARDIS."

"Doctor, he kept Rose captive for over a year. He allowed her to be murdered," the Captain said through gritted teeth.

"This is what Rose wants me to do."

"And you know that how?"

"She told me."

"In a dream?"

The Doctor nodded, wondering how Jack knew.

"You mean you're just going to keep me?" the other Time Lord asked in disgust.

"Mmm. If that's what I have to do. I'll be honest, it's not my first choice, but it's what Rose would have wanted. Because that's how good she was. Despite whatever horrible things you put her through, she would never allow me to have you killed. You took her from me, and now you're all I have."

Before another word was spoken, a gun shot rang through the flight deck. The Doctor saw the Master begin to collapse and caught him before he hit the floor. He looked back to see the Master's wife, Lucy, holding the forgotten pistol.

Jack ran towards her. "Put it down," he ordered.

"There you go. I've got you. I've got you," the Doctor said as he cradled the Master in his arms.

"Always the women," the Master said, breathing heavily.

"I didn't see her."

"Dying in your arms. Happy now? Your Rose is avenged."

"You're not dying. Don't be stupid. It's only a bullet. Just regenerate."

"No."

"One little bullet. Come on," the Doctor told him, surprised at how emotional he was feeling. Despite the fact that it was the Master, it felt comforting to feel the presence of a another Time Lord in his mind. With Rose gone, he needed all the comfort he could get.

The Master raised his eyebrows and said, "I guess you don't know me so well. I refuse."

"Regenerate. Just regenerate. Please. Please! Just regenerate. Come on."

"And spend the rest of my life imprisoned with you?"

"You've got to. Come on. It can't end like this. I promised Rose. I can't break that." He began crying. "You and me, all the things we've done. Axons. Remember the Axons? And the Daleks. We're the only two left. There's no one else. Regenerate!"

"How about that," he said, sound surprised. "I win. Will it stop, Doctor? The drumming. Will it stop? Because it never did for her."

Before the Doctor could answer, the Master closed his eyes and died.

The Doctor closed his own eyes and openly wept. Visions of everyone he lost during the Time War filled his mind. Images of his Rose laughing were replaced of her lying on the flight deck, bloody and mangled. He wept because he really was the last Time Lord and he was alone. _"There's me,"_ she had once told him. But now she was no more.

The sound of someone singing broke through his emotions. "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? The big bad wolf, the big bad wolf, the big bad wolf."

He looked over and saw Lucy staring at the Master's body as she rocked back and forth and repeated her song. He saw Jack trying to stop her, but nothing seemed to be working.

The Doctor stood and marched towards her, "Stop it!" he shouted at her. "Why are you singing that?"

"He was so afraid. Even after she was contained, he was so afraid," the woman said, never breaking her gaze from the Master.

"Who was he afraid of?"

Instead of responding, she just giggled.

The Doctor carefully placed his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Lucy, who was he afraid of?"

"Oh, how she cried. She didn't want to be the power source. But he found a way to make her. She cried and cried."

"Who!?" the Doctor demanded as he shook her shoulders.

Martha finally stepped forward and said warningly, "Doctor..."

"Who?" the Doctor repeated himself, this time more calmly.

"The Bad Wolf," Lucy responded simply.

"You said she was a power source. What was she a source for, Lucy?" Jack asked carefully.

"She sleeps under the blue box. She keeps the machine alive."

The Doctor lowered his hands. "That's not possible. The spheres killed her. I saw her body."

"That wasn't the Bad Wolf. That was the fake girl, but he made me swear not to tell!" she admitted with wide eyes.

"I destroyed the paradox machine," Jack said cautiously. "If Rose was the power source..."

"She sleeps under the blue box," the Doctor muttered before running out room and towards the TARDIS.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: The Sleeping Wolf Wakes.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	31. The Sleeping Wolf Wakes

**A/N: I am so sorry about the wait! Migraines + extra hours at work are to blame. Many, many thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have reviewed. I adore each and every one of you. I hope you like this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That goes to the BBC.**

* * *

This was a trick. It had to be. He could NOT get his hopes up. The Master had taunted him with Rose's death for a year. He brought it up almost every day. The Doctor had grieved and mourned and still was. He would never get over the loss of his pink and yellow human. The girl who "made him better," as Martha had put it. And she had. She really, really had. There was no possible way she was still alive. He had seen her broken and bloody body. There was no way anyone, human, or alien, could survive that much blood loss. It just wasn't possible. But what had Lucy said? The fake girl? Was it possible really possible that his Rose was still alive?

These were the thoughts that went whirring through his head as he ran, faster than he had ever run before, towards the TARDIS. He wasn't even aware of the sound of Jack's heavy footfalls directly behind him, or that Martha had shouted a, "stay here," to her family before racing after the two men.

All three, even the Doctor, were breathing heavily as they reached the corridor that the TARDIS had been kept in.

"Under the blue box, she said. What does that even mean?" the Doctor said frantically as he began tugging at his hair.

Jack had been escorted through the Valiant many times over the past year. Every guard would take a different route to whatever destination the Master had planned and Jack made sure that he memorised every single passage way. Especially those near the TARDIS. "This way!" he shouted as he took off down an adjoining corridor. He was mentally going through the hidden twists and turns of the Valiant and was almost positive that there was a small room directly under the TARDIS. The door to the room had been shut when he walked by, but one day he had heard a guard mention the Master being in it. He led the Doctor and Martha down a flight of stairs before they finally made it to the deck under the TARDIS. They could hear alarms blaring before they even made it to the door.

The Doctor and Jack took off, full pelt, with Martha close behind. The two men slammed the door open and were assaulted by the loud sirens and alarms. Lights were flashing and machines ringing. Everything working on overtime, trying to alert someone of the distress the person, lying on the cold metal table, was in.

The Doctor gasped. There she was. So frail and thin. Even with the flashing lights he could make out the bruises that covered her exposed arms and legs. She was wearing a flimsy hospital gown, that looked as if it offered no warmth, Her hair was long and stringy, far past her shoulders. And it was no longer blonde, but instead, a dull mousy brown. She also had wires attached to her head that went up into a hole in the ceiling. Lucy had been right. The Master had somehow used Rose as the main power source for the paradox machine.

The Doctor couldn't move. Couldn't breath. He was literally frozen to the spot and only broke his freeze when Martha shoved past him.

"Move!" she commanded forcefully. She quickly looked at the equipment Rose was hooked up to and could only make out a few things. She grabbed her friend's tiny wrist and checked for a pulse. "I can't make sense of much of this stuff, but I can tell the her life support systems are failing. I also can't find a heartbeat."

Jack stepped in front of the Doctor and grabbed his shoulders. "Doctor," he said but was ignored. The Doctor couldn't take his eyes off Rose. He shook the alien roughly. "Doctor! Look at me damn it! There's a chance we could still save our girl but Martha and I need you. Pull yourself together and save Rose Tyler."

The sound of her name seemed to break the Doctor out of whatever spell he was in. Immediately, the Doctor ran forward and scanned the machines Rose was attached too. Seeing that the paradox machine was dead, he quickly detached the wires and probes connected to his beloved's skull. "Martha I need you to start administering CPR. Do not stop under any circumstance. No matter what happens, do not stop. Jack, I need you with me. We'll be right back, Martha," he shouted as he and the Captain raced out of the room.

* * *

Martha took a deep breath before climbing on top of the table her friend was lying on and started administering CPR. She forced herself to mentally wipe away the image of Rose's face and instead make it a blank canvas. This was not Rose Tyler. This was not a friend. This was a patient. She is Dr. Jones and this is her patient. She was so focused, it startled her when she heard her sister's voice helping her count out the beats.

It was in this moment that Martha was thankful that she hadn't let her medical skills become rusty over that long year. There wasn't much she could do. She couldn't heal every person she came across. But she did try her best to medically help those who needed it.

Having her sister next to her, keeping a calm count, was extremely surreal to Martha. Martha never realised how much she loved and appreciated Tish until she was forced to spend a year apart. It was the same with her mum and dad. There were even times Martha had missed their fighting! As long as they were safe and sound, they could fight all they want and she would gladly listen. Then there was her brother Leo, she hadn't heard much about him in the past year. Just bits and pieces. But, she knew he was out there fighting the Master's regime and it made her extremely proud. Of course, now he wouldn't remember a bit about it, but that's good. At least someone in the Jones family won't be totally traumatised.

* * *

"What're we doing, Doc?" Jack asked as the Doctor swung open the door to the TARDIS.

"We need to get the Her down to Rose," he answered shortly. "Help me, Jack."

"I will, but are you sure this is safe? It's a wreck in here."

"I know, I know. It'll be bumpy to say the least, but we've got to." He stopped and laid his hands on the torn up console. "I'm sorry," he murmured to the ship. "I'm so sorry, but I've got to do this quickly so we can save Rose. He felt the TARDIS give a weak mental nod in agreement. Knowing she was on board with his plans, he directed Jack under the grating to fuse some wires. He sighed as he began cobbling the console back together as fast as possible.

Neither men spoke. They were far too focused on their work and thankfully due to their hard work they were done in just over five minutes. "It's not ideal but it will have to do. The TARDIS has put all Her extra energy into moving the infirmary as close as possible." He laid his hand on a coral struts. "This is going to hurt." He felt the ship give Her acknowledgment and want for saving Rose. "Allons-y."

* * *

The CPR wasn't helping. At all. But the Doctor had been very firm about not stopping. What was taking him so long? He and Jack had run off at least five minutes ago. Suddenly, the answer to her thoughts began materialising around her.

"What the hell?" she heard Tish exclaim as they suddenly found themselves in the TARDIS control room. A still very weak and fragile looking control room, but still the control room none the less.

"Martha, don't stop!" the Doctor shouted as soon as the TARDIS had fully materialised. He grabbed the table she and Rose were on and pulled it up the ramp and out of the control room.

Jack turned his attention to Martha's sister. "Tish, UNIT will be on board the Valiant any minute. Go with them. They won't question your family till you get back on Earth and by then Martha will be there and waiting for you with the official statements your family will give."

"Jack, I don't-" she started to say.

"Just trust me. Now I need to get back and help them with Rose."

Tish gave a reluctant nod and went back to rejoin her family.

* * *

By the time Jack had made it to the infirmary, Martha and the Doctor had already already got Rose hooked up to a life support type system.

The Doctor was injecting a green liquid into Rose's IV, as he answered Jack's unspoken question, "The machine she's hooked up to is keeping her heart beating. She's so extremely dehydrated and malnourished I can't even begin to describe everything that's wrong. How she stayed alive that entire time, I'll never know." Martha wheeled over a large scanner from the 50th century that looked a bit like and mobile MRI machine. "Perfect," the Doctor said when he saw it. "Jack, I'm assuming you've seen one of these before. It's an organ regenerator. I need you to help Martha scan Rose. It'll buzz every time that it finds an organ that needs repaired. When it does, hold the scanner over that organ until it buzzes again. Got it?"

Both companions nodded their heads and went to work as the Doctor began to take a series of DNA samples to try and figure out how Rose had possibly been the source for the paradox machine.

Four hours later and anything they could do to heal Rose physically was done. After the organ regenerator had worked it's magic, they were able to take Rose off the life support system, although the Doctor did keep a monitor on her heart in case it began to fail again. The Doctor was now at a loss as to what to do. He had hoped that she would have woken by now. While she would still be weak, her body was on the mend. She was being pumped full of vitamins and minerals. She was on the road to recovery. So why was she still unconscious?

The three travellers each pulled a chair up next to Rose's bedside and waited for their friend to return.

* * *

"This doesn't make sense. Why hasn't she woken up yet?" the Doctor asked at the five hour mark, more to himself than either of his companions.

"Doctor, we've healed her physically but we have no idea what mental trauma she's been through. She was held captive for eighteen months. She was then attached to and supposedly the power source for the paradox machine for a year," Jack said carefully.

"What exactly are you suggesting, Captain?"

"Maybe you need to take a look into Rose's mind."

"I-"

"I know what you're about to say, 'Rose would hate it. She doesn't like things in her head without permission.' But the thing is, Doctor, we can't ask her permission right now. I'm not telling you to go traipsing about her memories and look at all her secrets, but the answer to why she's still unconscious might be there, waiting for you to find it."

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair. "I know. You're right. Doesn't mean I'll like it though."

"Is there any other way?" Martha spoke up. "What about her DNA results? Did you find anything useful?"

He shook his head. "They're not done yet. It's taking the TARDIS a lot longer than usual to process things. She's still very ill herself." He slowly stood and made room on Rose's bed so he could sit on the edge, still able to face her, and placed his fingers on her temples. Taking a deep breath he entered her mind.

* * *

The first thing he noticed was how dark it was. He had never imagined her mind to be so gloomy, but here it was. He thought he saw some light and movement in the distance and decided to follow it. Walking through Rose's mind also seemed to be a lot harder than most. He felt like he was walking through a heavy sludge. After what felt like hours, he finally found what he had first saw in the distance. He instantly regretted coming after it. There, before him, was a giant tornado of memories. Every moment in Rose's life swirled around her in broken fragments. Nothing was whole. Shards of thoughts whirled by him, followed by the sounds of Rose's screams. Never able to resist the sound of her cries, the Doctor rushed forward into the heart of the cyclone.

There he saw the image of the Master leaning over him.

"Tell me," he demanded.

"NO!" the Doctor heard Rose reply forcefully.

"I've had it up to here with your defiance! You won't tell me? Fine! I'll just have to take it then," the Master said as he grabbed Rose's head and tore through her mind, ripping away any and all mental defense she had. He stripped every thoughts bare. He shattered through every memory.

The pain was... the pain was unbearable. How Rose survived this in the first place was anyone's guess. The Doctor felt his own hearts shatter as he heard his Rose begin to plead, "Please, stop. Please. Please. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. PLEASE!"

The Doctor couldn't make rhyme or reason of the thoughts and memories that were swirling around. He wasn't sure how the Master was able to make sense of it all, though he had always excelled at telepathy. After a few agonizing moments he heard the Master give a cheer. He must have found what he was looking for. The Doctor tried to focus, tried to see what the Master saw, but it was all just a jumbled mess. Then suddenly, a wolf howled in the distance.

The Doctor gasped before running towards the sound, but was cut short by running smack into a large blue door. A very familiar blue door. The Doctor looked up and saw the TARDIS doors shutting him away from something. He gently placed his hand on the door and was met with an extreme sense of protection. This is where she was. His ship was protecting her, even mentally. Tentatively, he raised his hand and knocked.

Instantly a feeling of unease washed over him. Clearly his ship was telling him to back off. But he couldn't. He needed Rose to know that he was there and she could come out now.

"Rose," he called out, trying to said as calm as possible.

Nothing.

"Rose, I know you're in there. It's me. It's the Doctor."

He placed his ear to the door and could have swore he heard a whimper.

"I know you're frightened. But you're safe now. The Master is gone. He'll never be able to hurt you again. I promise, love."

Still no response, but this time he thought he might have heard some shuffling.

"Listen, Rose, I'll wait for you. I'll always wait for you. When you're ready, you come out and wake up. I'll be there and so will Martha and Jack. We all miss you so much, Rose. So, please, love, wake up soon."

The Doctor felt a gentle prod from his ship and knew instantly that She was encouraging him to leave Rose's mind now. Leave their Rose to Her. She'll take care of her.

To get back out, the Doctor was going to have to walk back through the tornado of memories. Something he was not looking forward to. It made him sick to see how the Master had rampaged through her mind. What state would Rose be in when and if she finally awoke? Only time would tell. But there was a very real possibility that she wouldn't even remember who she is, let alone him or Jack or Martha.

* * *

Once he finally made it through the worst of the cyclone, he was able to pull back and gently ease out of her mind. As soon as he was fully back in his own mind and aware, he stood abruptly and began to fall backwards.

"Whoa, there," Jack said as he quickly stepped up and caught him. "You alright, Doc? It's been good half hour that you've been in Rose's mind."

"Five and half hours," the Doctor chuckled darkly. "Go figure."

Martha stepped forward cautiously, saying, "Um, Doctor, Rose's DNA results are done. I tried taking a look at them, but they don't seem to make any sense to me."

The Doctor frowned and when to the computer bank to see what the results said. "What?!" he exclaimed as he stared at the monitor. "No, no, no, no, no..."

"What is it?" Jack asked, trying to see what was on the monitor.

"Huon particles?! And and extreme dose of Artron energy? That is just... not possible."

"Wait a second, Artron energy? That's from the TARDIS, yeah?"

"Sorry, what is Artron energy and what are Huon particles and what do they have to do with Rose?" Martha questioned sharply.

"Artron energy is everything. It's all around the TARDIS. It's what makes Her a TARDIS!" the Doctor explained, frantically gripping his hair as he began to pace back and forth. Martha had a feeling he would be more inclined to give a better explanation if it wasn't for the clear distress Rose was probably in.

"Okay, and what about the Huon particles?"

"They reside in the heart of the TARDIS. They're ancient. Not even around anymore. Normally, they would only be found in Her heart. But at Christmas, we came across someone who had been dosed in them." He turned to Jack, "The Christmas star? That was the Empress of the Racnoss. She was going to use the Huon particles to awake her children at the center of the Earth. Rose and I, we met this woman, Donna, and her fiance and been 'drugging' her with the particle for months."

Jack slowly nodded his head, trying to make reason of the Doctor's ramblings. "Alright. So it possible that Rose was contaminated during that particular adventure?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No way. Judging by the extreme amount in her, it's been in her for ages. Same with the Artron energy. In fact, she has so much, I should, in theory, regenerate, just from holding her hand."

"So how did all this happen then? If it would kill you how has it not killed her?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. I truly can't even think properly." The Doctor stopped pacing and looked at the ceiling. "Voice Interface," he said loudly.

An image of Rose appeared in front of the three travellers. "Voice Interface, enabled," she stated. It was odd. She looked like Rose. She sounded like Rose. But she clearly _was not _Rose.

The Doctor felt his knees buckle at the sight. He was honestly expecting to see himself as the Voice Interface. Seeing Rose stand before him was almost too much. In the end, it was Martha who questioned the Holo-form's appearance.

"Why do you look like that?"

"I have chosen the image the three currently conscious occupants collectively find most trustworthy and highly esteem," was the reply.

Jack gave a small laugh.

The Doctor stepped forward. "Why is Rose filled with Huon particles and Artron energy?"

"Rose Tyler is the Bad Wolf."

"No, she's not!" he denied. "I took that out of her."

"The Doctor removed the harmful energy and knowledge. Rose Tyler created herself. Rose Tyler is the Bad Wolf."

"Alright, so what does that mean?" Jack asked logically, trying to save the Doctor from arguing with his own ship.

"Rose Tyler was/is/will be the heart of the TARDIS. Always."

"She should be dead! That stuff should kill her," the Doctor said.

"Rose Tyler is alive. Rose Tyler will remain alive. Frozen in her years."

"Is she immortal?" The question came from Jack and the Doctor tried not to see the hopeful look that was temporarily in the man's eyes. He knows Jack would never want Rose to be cursed with such a life, but still, he must be so lonely. The Doctor vowed then and there that he would always go and visit his old friend. Despite the wrongness of said friend.

"Rose Tyler is not immortal," was the answer.

The Doctor took a deep breath, "Alright so wha-"

The Voice Interface cut him off, "Rose Tyler is coming to consciousness. She will be fully aware in five minutes." With that the image of Rose disappeared.

"I wish I could say that's the oddest thing I've seen recently," Martha blurted out with a sigh.

* * *

_"It's time now, my Heart."_

_"I'm not ready," Rose said, her voice muted by the fabric in it's way._

_The TARDIS looked down at the pink and yellow human resting her head on Her lap. "Yes you are, my Heart. You heard my Thief. He is lost without you."_

_"I'm scared."_

_"I know. And I will not lie to you, never to you, it will be a hard road ahead. You will be frightened of many things for many days to come. But you are so brave. You are the Bad Wolf. You are my Heart and I will always be with you. Always."_

_"Will I remember everything? Everything we've talked about and done?" Rose looked to her hopefully._

_"I'm afraid not everything," the TARDIS told her sadly. "Timelines must be preserved and I have revealed things that could have disastrous consequence if you should remember to much. You will remember all I have told you of our connection. You will also, eventually, remember visiting you friends in their dreams. You will not, however, remember what I have disclosed to you about the future. Time is constantly in flux and those things may not occur. You will also not remember what I look like."_

_Rose sat up in outrage. "Why ever not?!"_

_The TARDIS giggled. "Silly girl, this is a body I will/might be thrust into one day. It all depends on what path my Thief takes. But this is not what I would actually look like. I am the TARDIS. That's it. I only chose this image, for you. Knowing it would bring you comfort. A motherly comfort."_

_"So why can't I remember?"_

_The TARDIS gave her a stern look._

_"Right. Timelines to preserve. I know, I know." Suddenly Rose threw her arms around the TARDIS's neck. "I'll miss you."_

_"I'll be right here, my Heart." Rose nodded and pulled away, slowly making her way towards the door. "Oh and, do my favor," She called out. "Tell the handsome Captain that I am terribly sorry about trying to rid of him in the Vortex. I have missed the tune ups he used to give me."_

_Rose blushed. "TARDIS..."_

_The TARDIS looked lovingly at the girl She and her Thief had stolen. "Go on, go be fantastic."_

* * *

The Doctor and Jack stood on one side of her bed, while Martha stood on the other, waiting for Rose to wake.

"How long has it been?" Martha asked quietly.

"Three minutes, forty seconds," was the Doctor's answer.

"She'll be alright," Jack told the Time Lord.

"You didn't see what I saw, Jack. Her mind was... I've never seen anything like it. If the Time Lords were still around they would strip the Master of every regeneration he had just for thinking about doing what he did to Rose," he said to the Captain. "What he did was the ultimate violation. Worse than ra-" He stopped himself. "Worse than anything you could imagine. If he wasn't already dead, there would be nothing stopping me from going and taking care of the Master myself."

Jack placed his hand on the Doctor's shoulder, trying to pull the Time Lord back from falling into the Oncoming Storm. "Rose would," he whispered. "Rose would stop you." Jack took Rose's hand and placed it in the Doctor's.

They all jumped when they heard a slight whimper come from the girl they were standing vigil. "Rose! The Doctor exclaimed. He leaned over and brushed her, now brunette, locks away from her face. Her eyelids began to flutter. "That's it, Rose. Come on. Open your eyes for me."

Rose moaned as her eyes fully opened and focused. The sight she was met with caused extreme panic. She screamed and pushed and hit at the Doctor, trying to get out of his grasp. Ever the medical professional, Martha began to examine medical machines that were now blaring due to Rose's emotional state.

"You need to calm her down," Martha shouted over the alarms. "Her heart rate is rocketing,"

"Rose," the Doctor called out. Rose just fought him more with what little energy she had. Ducking his head out of the way of Rose's fist, the Doctor sent a panicked look to Jack.

The Captain stepped in front of the Doctor, and took Rose by the shoulders. "Rose, you need to stop now, alright," he told her firmly but clearly with love and concern. "I need you to calm down, sweetheart."

Awareness filled Rose's eyes and she focused on the man in front of her. "Jack!" she cried, flinging her arms around the ex-Time Agent's neck. "Don't let him hurt me, Jack. Please!" Rose begged as she sobbed into his shoulders.

"Sshh. You're safe now. I've got you," he consoled, rubbing soothing circles on his back.

Martha breathed a sigh of relief as the monitors quieted down. Her breath hitched once more when she saw the look of despair on the Doctor's face. She knew instantly what was wrong.

* * *

He frightened Rose. Rose pushed and shoved and hit and kicked and did everything her weak body could do, to get away from him. It should be him rocking his beloved back and forth. Not Jack. But it was in Jack she found comfort. Not him. Not anymore.

The Doctor didn't know what to do. So he ran.

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Recovery.**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	32. Recovery

**A/N: Oh gosh. I adore you all. Thank you so much to my followers, those who have left such wonderful reviews, and those of you who have favorited. This chapter was a piece of work, let me tell you. I hope you guys like it! (BTW, there's some mild swearing. I hope no one minds...)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That goes to the BBC.**

* * *

The Doctor ran. He ran as far as his feet could take and his ship would allow. The TARDIS was still very weak and couldn't access most of Her rooms but the Doctor sent up a silent plea for Her to open some sort of haven for him. _Anywhere,_ he begged. _I need to get away._

A door appeared a few steps ahead of him to the right, and he immediately rushed inside without looking at where the TARDIS had lead him. His hearts stuttered when he realised where he was. Rose's bedroom. "Why here?!" he shouted. "I should have specified. I meant, anywhere _but _here."

The Doctor turned back to exit the room only to find that the door had been removed. "Oh you have got to be kidding me." He was exhausted and not in the mood to play games with his time-ship, but knowing how stubborn She could be, he decided arguing with Her would be useless. He flopped down onto Rose's bed, waiting for his "time out" to be over.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, he felt a sharp jab. "Ouch," he muttered before moving the pillow aside to see what Rose's had hiding beneath there. He found a large hat box with a note attached to the top.

_Dear Doctor,_

_If you're reading this it means one of two things. One option being that I'm gone. Gone as in deceased, cause I know that there is no way that I would willingly leave you. The second option is that you're snooping through my room. Honestly, I'm suspecting the latter. If by some chance it is the first option let me say how terribly sorry I am that I had to leave. I know it would never ever be my first choice (and that's right I said never ever!), but I do hope it was a good death. Hopefully I was saving someone or something. With our track record there's a good chance it's cause I was saving you! (That's a joke by the way. Laugh. You probably need it.) No matter what the reasoning though, I don't want you to ever feel guilty. Not ever. Especially if I died saving you. I wouldn't have missed a single moment for the world. You know that. No matter what has happened, my life has been better because of you. You and your magical blue box. You both changed my life. Do me a favor, don't be alone. Find someone else to travel with and share with them what you did with me. Make their life better. Show them how truly brilliant and fantastic they really are. And most of all, let them help you. Let them stop you. And let them hold your hand. For me. Do it for me. Now inside this hat box is some memories of our time together. If I'm gone then they're your's now. Keep them safe for me. I don't want you to dwell in the past, but everyone once in a while if you could just take them out and remember me, then I'll be happy._

_Always Your's,_

_Rose._

_Oh and if it was the second option and your just snooping through my room, then go ahead. Look in the box. I know you're dying too! And really, they're just as much your's as they are mine_

The Doctor swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. Oh his Rose knew him so well. Gingerly, he opened the lid to the box, to see what treasures lay inside. The first item he pulled out was a picture of himself and Rose in 1969, taken with Martha's mobile. He honestly wasn't sure when Martha snapped the picture, but by the looks of it, it was right before they filmed the video message for Sally Sparrow. The Doctor was sprawled on the floor, sonic in one hand and the recorder he had cobbled together in the other. He must have just said something funny, cause Rose was curled in the chair behind him, head thrown back in laughter. Martha took the picture at the perfect angle. You could just see him looking back at Rose with love all over his face. The Doctor sighed and quickly set the picture aside. Would Rose ever smile like that again? And if she did, would it be in his presence?

The next item he pulled out was the journal he used as John Smith in 1913. _Huh,_ he wondered._ Where did she get this?_ That last time he remembered seeing it, Joan Redfern had it. He quickly scanned through the pages before setting that aside as well.

Next were the bright pink mittens he had given her to wear as they went ice skating on the mineral lakes of Kur-ha. He continued to marvel at the items she had stored up. Some of which he had no idea how she got a hold of.

A picture of Rose straightening his tie right before the gala at Lazarus Laboratories.

An autograph signed to him from William Shakespeare. _When did she have him do this?!_

A hospital print out with the name Mrs. Smith at the top.

A familiar pair of 3-D glasses.

A picture of them at the 2012 Olympics.

A paper crown.

A picture of the old him and Captain Jack working side by side on the TARDIS.

A folded up shirt with a Union Jack splashed across his.

A small bottle of vinegar with a tag attached to the top. _Just in case,_ it read.

The flower she had worn in her hair the first time he took her to Cardiff.

And that was just to name a few! But at the very bottom of the box he found a small scrap of paper that read one word. _Run._

* * *

Jack was at a loss. Rose had obviously been through quite the ordeal and was clearly terrified. But of the Doctor? That just made no sense to him. For now he just continued to hold her close and let her know how safe she truly was. He bent his head closer to her ear and said quietly, "Shhh. You're alright now, sweetheart. The Master can't hurt you. He's dead. You're safe and sound in the TARDIS. I'm here and Martha's here and so is the Doctor. There's no reason to be afraid of him. We all love you so much and we thought we had lost you."

Rose lifted her head slightly and looked at him with a confused expression. "The- The TARDIS? We're in the TARDIS? And the Doctor's here?"

He ran his hand through her stringy hair, "Yeah, he was the one you saw when you woke up. You sort of freaked out on him."

"That was really the Doctor?" she asked as more tears began to form.

"Of course it was. Who else could it be?"

"I thought... I thought I was being tricked again. He tricked me so many times and I couldn't take it anymore! Oh god, the Doctor must hate me!"

"No, sweetheart, not you. Never you."

"Where is he then?"

Jack sent a pleading look to Martha, having not actually seen the Time Lord exit himself. "He just had to step out and check on some things," Martha made up quickly. She had gotten rather good at coming up with false truths on the fly during the past year. "He knew you were upset and wanted to give you your space."

"Please go get him!" Rose begged. "I need to see him for myself. Please. He's going to hate me and I need to apologise."

"Of course we'll go get him. I'm sure he hasn't gone far," Jack answered. "You just rest till we get back."

"No!" Rose cried when he tried to pull away. "Don't leave... I can't... I..."

Martha ran over to her friend and gave her a gentle hug. "It's alright, Rose. I'll go get the Doctor and Jack will stay right here next to you. Okay?"

Rose, not trusting her voice, could only nod.

* * *

When Martha made her way into the corridor she sent a silent plea to the TARDIS, _I know you're still very weak, but I need to find him. Any help would be appreciated. _When a small light appeared at the end of the hall she added, _Thanks. _She followed the light and same a upon a single door. Opening it she found the Doctor slumped on Rose's bed, surrounded by some of the woman's possessions.

The Doctor looked up in surprise as Martha entered the room, that a few moments before, had no door. "How is she?!" he asked immediately.

"Honestly? A mess," she replied.

The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose before gathering the items around him and putting them back in Rose's hatbox. "As soon as I get the TARDIS all fixed up, I'll take you all back to Earth. She'll probably want to stay with Jack in Cardiff for a while, but who knows, she might prefer to stay in London."

Martha frowned. "Why in the world would she want to stay with in Cardiff or London? She lives here. With you."

"Well, I don't know how you missed the display earlier, but let me fill you in. Rose wants nothing to do with me. She was utterly terrified by me. So excuse me for not wanting to subject her to that anymore, Martha."

"Oh, you thick bastard," she spat out. "She wasn't scared of you! She wasn't even aware of her surroundings. She didn't know she was even on the TARDIS."

"But you saw the way she reacted to me," the Doctor defended, "and then it was the complete opposite with Jack!"

"That's only because she didn't think it was you. When Jack told her she was shocked. Apparently the Master used to trick her or something and she didn't know it was really you when she woke up. The only reason she reacted to Jack the way she did is because her mind was obviously still back on the Valiant and it registered Jack as someone safe." Martha took a deep breath before sitting next to the Doctor on the bed. "She thinks you're going to hate her now. She begged for either Jack or myself to come find you so she could apologise."

"I could never hate her," the Doctor whispered.

"I know, and Jack told her that, but right now she's not in the strongest of places mentally or physically. She's not going to think rationally when it comes to stuff like this."

He was silent for a few moments before finally saying, "I thought she was dead, Martha. For a whole year I thought Rose Tyler was no longer alive. I can still see the image of her lifeless body every time I close my eyes. And now she's alive. She's truly alive and if the TARDIS is to be believed, it seems like she could possibly be alive for a very long time. And that's brilliant. But I don't know what to do now. My Rose is broken and for the first time I have no idea how to fix her. She fixed me after the Time War and she wasn't even aware of it! But now, now I can't even repay her because I have no bloody idea how to go about it."

"You take it one step at a time, Doctor," Martha replied. "It won't be easy. We've all been through a hell of a year, and for Rose it's been even longer. But we'll help each other. We'll all heal together. Yeah?"

The Doctor threw his arm around Martha's shoulder's and pulled her in for a hug. "Yeah," he agreed.

* * *

The Doctor entered the infirmary, with Martha close behind, and was met with the sight of Jack cradling a despondent looking Rose. Her eyes were firmly clamped shut, trying to keep in the tears that were clearly trying to escape. He could just make out the sounds of Jack's whispers.

"He won't hate you, Rose. You'll see. That man loves you pieces. I promise Rose, he does not hate you."

The Doctor cleared his throat before slowly making his way closer to the bed. Rose showed no change. Jack, however, sent an encouraging smile to the Time Lord, beckoning him to come closer.

When she could feels his presence in front of her, Rose carefully opened her eyes. She raised her hand and cupped the cheek of man in front of her. "Doctor," her voice rasped.

The Doctor felt two single tears run down his face. The next thing he knew, Rose had escaped Jack's arms and had flung herself into his grasp. Not even trying to make it to the bed, he lowered himself onto the floor and held Rose tightly. "Rose, Rose, Rose," he repeated into her hair, where is face was buried.

"My Doctor," she cried. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have known it was you. Your eyes. They're so different than his, even when he tried to pretend he was you, I could always tell by his eyes. But I didn't even look. I didn't even look and I'm so sorry!"

"Shhh. You have nothing to apologise for, Rose Tyler. Absolutely nothing. Not you. You are so brave and strong and I'm so sorry I didn't save you sooner."

"It's not your fault! It just happened. So much happened, Doctor. I-I can't..."

"You don't have to talk about it, Rose. Not right now. Now you need rest. Lots of rest."

Rose whimpered and began peppering his neck with kisses. "I missed you."

He gave out a weak laugh. "I missed you too, love. You have no idea."

"You never call me love."

"No," he agreed," but I've always wanted to."

"That's familiar," she said drowsily.

"Sleep," he ordered softly. "You're safe now." The Doctor never heard a response but instead felt her body slacken and her breathing even out. When she was finally fully asleep, he stood and gently laid her back on the bed. The Doctor looked around the infirmary and was confused by the absence of Martha and Jack. He peaked his head into the corridor and was surprised to see his companion slumped together on the floor. "What're you doing out here?" he asked.

"We wanted to give you two some privacy and there's really no where else to go on the TARDIS right now," Jack responded.

"Ah. Right. Well, thank you for that. Well, for everything really," he told them solemnly. "Listen, Rose is asleep now and I need to start repairing the damage made to the TARDIS, but I really think someone should stay in here with her in case she wakes up and panics."

Jack agreed, saying, "That's a good idea. She completely freaked out at the idea of being alone earlier."

"I'll stay," Martha offered. "I could use a kip myself."

Something dawned on the Doctor after hearing her words. "Martha, you just spent the year walking the Earth."

"Really, I had no idea," she replied sarcastically.

"Oi, no need to get sassy. What I'm saying is, you need a proper check up! Who knows what injuries you may have sustained this past year."

"I'm fine, Doctor. I scanned myself earlier after we were done fixing up Rose. The only thing wrong was a bit of dehydration, which I already took care of."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Now go get to work on your ship. I'll stay with Rose."

The Doctor agreed and set off towards the control room with Jack.

* * *

Hours later and the majority of the damage the Master had inflicted on the TARDIS was repaired. There was still work to be done, but it was mostly small stuff. _If only I could say the same about Rose,_ the Time Lord pondered but then Jack's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Hey, Doc, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," the Doctor replied half heartedly as he repaired one of the knobs on the console.

"Have you ever met Shakespeare?" the Captain questioned.

"I have. Took Rose and Martha. It was Martha's first trip, actually," he mused. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Rose told me and I was wondering if it was true or not."

The Doctor looked at the other man in surprise. "Really? When was that? And why would she lie to you about it?"

"She told me about it in a dream."

"In a dream?"

"Yep."

"Rose told you in a dream that we met Shakespeare?"

Jack gritted his teeth. "Yes. She told me all about Love's Labour's Won, the Carrionites, How old Will and I would get along fantastically, everything. She told me all about it."

"And when was this? On the Valiant?" the Doctor asked warily.

"She told me in one of the first dreams I had of her. I dreamed of her all the time. Tell you what, Doctor, that year would have been a lot worse if not for the visits from her."

"I know," the Doctor said. "I dreamed of her too."

Jack nodded. "Figured as much. I asked Martha earlier about any dreams she may have had and she said Rose occupied her dreams quite frequently. Do you think it was really truly her and not just our minds creating her?"

The Doctor tugged his ear absentmindedly. "It's possible. She was literally connected to the TARDIS for an entire year. I suppose she could have projected her consciousness into our dreamscape's. I'll have to ask her when she's feeling better." Suddenly, he felt a wave of anguish wash over him and knew immediately that his ship was informing him of Rose's distress. "Something's wrong," the Doctor said quickly before running towards the infirmary.

* * *

When he entered he saw Rose sitting up on her bed, in the throws of a full panic attack. Martha was clearly trying to calm the other woman as best she could, but it wasn't working.

"It's my fault," Martha told him when she noticed him and Jack enter. "She was sound asleep and I had to use the loo. I never thought she would wake up in those few minutes alone!"

"It's alright," he replied before taking her spot on the bed. He gently grabbed Rose's shoulders and lowered his himself to her eye level. "Rose, look at me," he ordered. It took a few moments but finally her eyes focused on his. "That's it. Good girl. Focus on me. Listen to my breathing." He took her right hand and placed it on the center of his chest. "I want you to breath when I breath, alright? Breathe in," Inhale. "Breath out." Exhale. "That's it. You're doing great, Rose."

When she had finally calmed herself down, she blushed deeply. "I'm sorry," she said with a glance to Martha in particular.

"It's alright, Rose," Martha said encouragingly.

Suddenly Rose snapped her head towards the Doctor. "Are we in space?"

The Doctor looked around, "Yeah, but we're just floating around. How did you know?"

"I could feel it. We're connected now, the TARDIS and I. Did you know that?"

The Doctor sighed. "I do now. But I'm not sure how much."

"A lot," Rose responded. "My timeline is connected to Her's now."

Jack spoke up, "How do you know that?"

"She told me. 'S sort of hard to explain but we've... communicated... a lot over the past couple years. I can still die, just to clarify. The injuries would just have to be pretty severe and the TARDIS somehow out of commission."

"You're taking this all very calmly after everything that's happened," the Doctor said carefully.

"I spent eighteen months in captivity," Rose said bluntly. It seemed now that she had recovered from her panic, she was all fired up. "I then spent an entire year housing the power to a paradox machine in my head. Trust me, I've had time to come to terms with everything. Well, everything to do with the TARDIS that is," she added quietly.

The Time Lord in front of her stroked her cheek and said, "I'm so sorry, Rose, I never meant... I mean..."

"Hey," Rose whispered. "I'm okay with it Doctor. I promised you forever, didn't I?"

"And you were determined not to break that promise."

"It all makes so much sense now," she said with more volume, to include Jack and Martha.

"What makes sense?" the other woman asked.

"Why whenever we landed in on Earth, specifically London, in present times, I kept getting awful headaches. Why I would hear whispering in the back of my mind, but could never remember what was said."

"Donna and the Huon particles!" the Doctor injected. "You began feeling sick as soon as Donna was transported onto the TARDIS. Not cause anything was wrong with you, but because the TARDIS was out of sorts!"

"Wait a second," Jack said, "Back up. What was that about headaches and whispers in your mind?"

"I would get these terrible headaches whenever we were in London. Terrible, pounding, headaches. Headaches that pounded out a four beat rhythm."

"The drums," the Doctor whispered, horrified. "The Master said you could hear the drums too!"

"Only because he was projecting into my mind!" Rose assured. "I convinced him that I could hear them on my own."

Martha shook her head. "Why?"

"Those drums... they properly scared him. I thought if he didn't feel so alone... If he thought I heard them too then maybe I could convince him to stop his plans for the Toclafane and let the Doctor help him."

"And the whispers you heard?"

"I've been in London for a long time, in seclusion, mind. But still. There were often times where two of me would be in the same city. The same time. And the... M-Master often projected a little too loudly while he was," she cleared her throat, "conducting his experiments. Sometimes the other version of me would pick up on things."

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" the Doctor asked sadly.

Rose shrugged. "Like I said, I never remembered."

All he could do was pull her in hug as he asked his final question for the time being, "And the TARDIS somehow told you all of this?"

"I know it sounds strange, but it was how she protected me. There was a lot of time, just the two of us, for her to explain everything to me. I'm sorry, I can't do a better job of explaining myself, it's all just so complicated!"

"You're doing just great, Rose."

"If you say so, but, will someone explain what happened over the past year on the Valiant? I'm only aware of bits and pieces."

"I promise, Rose, We'll tell you later, but, for now how about we try to get some food in you before you get some more rest."

"Oh god, food sounds gorgeous. Do you think we could go get some chips?"

The Doctor smirked. "What exactly did you have to eat... before?"

"Uh... before the paradox machine? Cold oatmeal. After? I didn't actually eat anything. He claimed I would get what I need through a tube."

The Doctor did little to hide the growl that escaped his throat.

"Don't," Rose whimpered. "Please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry at you, love. But I'm sorry. I don't think you're stomach would be able to handle any chips right now. I'll have the TARDIS whip up a nice light soup for you though."

"Fine," she acquiesced with a hint of petulance.

Jack sat down next to Rose. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Once you're all recovered, I'll buy you a nice steamy order of good ol' London chips. Pinky promise."

"Can I get some too?" Martha asked. "All I've had for the past year is stuff from a tin. Seriously, I'm never eating tinned food again."

"You'll need to take it easy on the food then as well, Dr. Jones," the Doctor spoke up. "I'll make sure there's enough soup for you as well."

Rose sighed and gave Martha a knowing look. "Recovery's a bitch."

* * *

_**Coming Soon: A Time to Say Goodbye**_

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	33. A Time To Say Goodbye

**A/N: I am so sorry about the wait. I wasn't very happy with this chapter and I wanted to wait until I had it just right before posting! Really huge thanks to my followers, those who have favorited, and those who have left such amazing reveiws. I adore every one of you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. That goes to the BBC. *Someline below are borrowed from the episode Last of the Time Lords. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

The Doctor had been right. Rose's body would never have been able to handle chips. She only had a few spoonfuls of the soup the TARDIS had prepared, before promptly pushing the bowl away. Her three companions all tried to get her to eat more, but it was of no use. Thankfully though, her appetite was slowly returning to normal. At just a little over a week after their ordeal on the Valiant, Rose was able to hold down an entire bowl of soup without any problems. The Doctor however, gave her regular doses of various vitamins and supplements to get her body back in tip top shape.

The next biggest difficulty in Rose's recovery was her fear of being alone. She hadn't explained where the fear stemmed from, simply stating that she, "didn't want to talk about it," and followed with, "I just want to move on from all that." The Doctor wasn't stupid though. He had a feeling that Rose must have been in some sort of solitary confinement for her fear to be so strong. If he wasn't with her, Jack or Martha had to be with her almost at all times. Even the first time she showered caused Rose to have a complete panic attack. Thankfully, Martha had been nearby and was able to save Rose the embarrassment of having Jack or the Doctor seeing her completely naked. After that, either Martha would sit in the en suite with Rose or Jack or the Doctor would sit outside the door, keeping up a steady flow of conversation to reassure her of their presence.

Nights, they quickly figured out, were the absolute worst. And not just for Rose. It seemed that they all had their own personal nightmares to deal with. At least the Doctor could go with very little sleep, as could Jack, but Rose and Martha were different. As were their nightmares. Which lead the Doctor, Jack, and Martha into finally having a discussion about Rose's presence in their dreams.

* * *

It was late at night and Martha and Rose were both curled up in the movie room, watching some thirty-first century version of a chick flick, when Jack and the Doctor sought them out. Upon their arrival, the TARDIS promptly paused the movie.

Rose looked up in confusion and asked, "What's up?"

The Doctor sat down next to her and grabbed her hand. "We need to talk."

"You know, when most blokes say that, it's never a good sign," she teased.

Granting her a small grin, he replied, "It's nothing bad per say, we just have some questions for you."

Rose sat up straighter, immediately on alert. "About what?" she asked defensively. She did _not _want to talk about anything that happened during her captivity and she had made that very clear to her companions.

"Calm down, Rose," Jack told her, taking a seat in the chair across from where she was sitting on the sofa with Martha, and now, the Doctor.

"Rose," the Doctor stated calmly, "Do you remember anything from when you were hooked up to the paradox machine?"

"No," she answered. "I was unconscious. The only things I remember are the few times the Master 'woke me up' pretending to be you." The Doctor visibly winced. Even now, it would take Rose a few moments in the morning to really believe he was there. But with one look into his eyes, she was always convinced. "Sorry," she whispered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Kissing the top of her head, he responded, "No apologies necessary. But what I was really wondering was if you remembered having any sort of dreams while you were unconscious? Did you ever, I don't know, dream of any of us?"

Rose began thinking. "Um, yeah sort of. But what's the big deal about that? S' just dreams."

"Not just any dreams, sweetheart. We dreamed of you too," Jack told her as he leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee.

"Okay..." Something was starting to tickle in the back of her mind.

"You told us things in those dreams, Rose," Martha explained. "You told Jack about some our trips, like when we met Shakespeare. And you always seemed to know when I was gonna have a particularly rough day and would give me little bits of wisdom to help me make it through."

Rose turned her attention to the Doctor. "The dreams were real? I was... I was really with you and talking to you?" She swallowed back the lump in her throat and looked around. "All of you?"

"It would seem that way," the Doctor answered. "It seems that you somehow harnessed some of the power from the paradox machine and were able to transfer your subconscious into our minds temporarily. And since our mind's defenses our weakest in our sleep, you implanted yourself in our dreams."

"What we're really curious about though is how you knew about things to come. You never gave us direct warnings but you still warned us none the less. And then after something would happen you were never surprised by our news. How is that?" the Captain questioned.

It was all coming back to her now. Rose took a deep breath and answered on her exhale, "The TARDIS. She would tell me things. But I... I wasn't allowed to directly warn you. The timeline was so fragile as it was. I tried to protect you all as best I could."

The Doctor drew his arm around Rose's shoulder and pulled her tightly to his side. "And you did it beautifully," he whispered. "But you don't have to protect us anymore. We want you to able to talk to us openly Rose. You need to tell us what happened when you were... away. Not necessarily right now. But someday."

Rose squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "I'm not ready. You'll just get angry."

He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her head. "Rose, love, look at me. Please, look at me." When she complied he continued, "You are one hundred percent right. I will be angry. Not with you, of course, but with the Master. And mostly with myself."

"But that's just it!" she interrupted. "I don't want you feeling guilty! It's not your fault."

"Stop. It is my fault. Hear me out!" he told her when he saw her about to deny. "Rose Tyler. You only see the best in me. You have taken it upon yourself to forgive all of my faults. And I just... You have no idea what that means to me. And your right, I do often put the blame of things out of my control onto myself. But most of things that have happened to you recently have been my fault. And I need you to accept that."

"How could you possibly say that? You didn't kidnap me and hold me captive. You did force the Master to do the things he did. So how was it possibly your fault? If any thing, it's my own! I was the one who was off having a pout in the TARDIS. I shouldn't have been so immature. Or at the very least I should have tired to fight the Master harder!"

"Rose, think about it. If I had just been honest with you about Jack in the first place you never would have gone to the TARDIS. Actually, if I had just been honest about Jack, we probably would have never ended up at the end of the universe, hence never meeting Professor Yana."

"You were just trying to protect me," Rose muttered half heartedly.

He gave a small chuckle. "Yes, you're right. I was. I was also being a selfish coward."

"Stop it. I don't like hearing you talk like that."

The Doctor just sighed.

Jack stepped in saying, "Rose, I think what the Doctor was originally trying to say was, yes, the things you tell us might make us angry and upset, but only because we love you. You don't have to tell all of us everything, if that makes you uncomfortable, but start with _something_. With any of us or all. It doesn't matter. But trust me, you can't keep it bottled up inside you. I know from experience."

Rose was silent. She stared blankly in front of her with eyes unseeing. Finally after several tense minutes Rose gripped the Doctor's hand tighter and said, "The only people I saw while in captivity was the Master and occasionally Lucy." She gave bitter snort. "That's why the Master had my hair color changed. Lucy didn't like that I was blonde too. 'Course when he took us to Utopia I saw... people... there. It was completely overwhelming. After so long in captivity I went into complete sensory overload. The only thing I remember registering was what was happening to the... humans."

Martha scooted closer to her friend and said quietly, "You're doing great, Rose. Only continue if you can."

"Other than all that, I was alone. All the time. At first it wasn't that big of a deal, but as the months went on..." her voice trailed away. "I could feel the TARDIS at times, that helped, but She was so weak. After the Master... figured out how to make me the source for the paradox machine, She was able to fully protect me. I wish I could remember more of what She did and said, but, I think she's blocking me."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "She probably revealed some things about future timelines and it would be dangerous if you remembered too much." He stopped and turned his whole body to face the woman next to him. "Rose, I want you to know how proud I am of you."

Rose ducked her head to hide the blush on her pale cheeks and said quietly, "Thank you. I know I'm not the only one who just went through a traumatising experience, so if any of you want to talk to me too, you can. You don't have to walk on egg shells around me. Yeah?" Much to her pleasure, she was met with agreements from all three of her friends.

"I have an idea!" Jack stood and announced. "Since none of us have had the best of times sleeping, I say we have ourselves a little sleepover. Who's in?"

Martha giggled and threw her hand in the air. "Me! It's been ages since I've been to one of those."

"Count me in," Rose said with a grin. "What about you, Doctor?"

The Doctor gave his companions an uneasy look. "A sleepover? Really? Isn't that a bit-"

Jack, Martha, and Rose cut him off in perfect unison with, "Domestic?"

"Ha. Ha. Fine. If the little human's want to have a slumber party, who am I to argue?"

And so began the first night of several slumber parties with the four time travellers. They usually consisted of watching silly movies, playing board games, excusing the Doctor of using his "superior Time Lord" genes to cheat at said board games, and eating an absurd amount of ice cream and popcorn. The nightmares still came, but they were slowly becoming more manageable.

* * *

Two weeks in and they were all going a bit barmy inside the TARDIS. It was Rose who actually requested that they finally go somewhere. The Doctor was apprehensive, but knew it was time for Rose to start getting used to being around other people.

* * *

As the Doctor landed the TARDIS, Rose began taking deep breaths, trying to prepare herself for what was coming. She had to leave the TARDIS eventually, she knew that, but it still terrified her. Images of stepping out of the TARDIS and onto the falsely named Utopia, filled her mind. She could still hear the screams ringing in her ears and the smell of burnt flesh seemed to be seared in her nostrils. She shook out of her thoughts when she felt the Doctor take her hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"No," she replied honestly. "But, I will be someday."

"We'll be with you the whole time," Jack told her from his place near the doors.

Rose plastered a small smile on her face. "I know. I... I can do this."

Jack opened the doors and lead Martha out first. They were closely followed by the Doctor and Rose.

"Welcome to the planet Joy," the Doctor announced. "It's a small little holiday spot that people come to when they need a break. The people here are incredibly kind and welcoming and the population is just small enough that you shouldn't find it to overwhelming."

* * *

The planet had been perfect. They ended up staying three days relaxing in the planet's natural hot springs and going for hikes. It had been just what Rose needed. She did have a few mild panic attacks, but, thankfully, the Doctor had been able to pull her out of it before anything got out of hand.

On the last day they were there though, the Doctor seemed distracted. Rose could see the Doctor and Jack having hushed conversations when they thought she wasn't around and it was starting to worry her. She had asked Martha if she was aware of anything but the other woman just shrugged and said she didn't know anything. It got even stranger when, that night, the Doctor bowed out of staying with her and instead asked if she minded if Martha stayed instead. He claimed he had some work to do on the TARDIS with Jack, but Rose wasn't buying it. She was very aware of the ship now and knew for a fact that the Old Girl did not have any pressing matters that needed attention by both men.

* * *

After a few hours of fitful sleep, Rose climbed out of bed and threw her dressing gown on. She checked to make sure Martha was still sound asleep before quietly opening her door and sneaking out into the corridor. She had gotten better at being alone over the past few weeks. It still wasn't easy and she still couldn't do it for more than an hour, but she was showing some improvement. Thankfully, the TARDIS sensed her mild discomfort and moved the control room closer than usual.

Rose was surprised to only be greeted with the sight of Jack. "Where's the Doctor?" she asked, straightforward.

Jack sprung off the jump seat. "Rose? what are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep. Where is the Doctor?"

"He.. uh... had to make a quick stop and take care of something. He should be back any minute though."

"Quick stop where? Jack, what is going on?"

Jack seemed to be having an internal debate with himself when he finally spit out, "Alright here's the thing, we had to go back to the Valiant so we could pick up the Master's body. He's a Time Lord and nobody, not even UNIT, should have a hold of him. The Doctor then said that a Time Lord body is a miracle. There are literally thousands of species that would go to war just to get a bit of that creep's DNA, so Time Lord tradition calls for the body to be burned. That's what the Doc's out doing right now."

Rose took a moment to process Jack's words before finally saying, "By himself? He's out there burning the body of his former friend, by himself?"

"I offered to go with him but he told me I needed to stay inside."

"Bullocks. I'm going out there."

Jack grabbed her arm. "Rose, stop. There's a reason he didn't tell you this. Don't you think it might be a bit much for you after everything?"

"Don't you think it might be a bit much for him?!" Rose snapped. "He needs me, Jack."

* * *

The Doctor stood in silence as he watched the body, of his once best friend turned vengeful enemy, burn. He wasn't even sure how should feel. After everything the Master did to Rose and Jack and Martha, and the rest of the world for that matter, he knew he should be feeling pure hatred. But, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss. Once upon a time, they were children. Innocent children. And that's who the Doctor would mourn. Not the Master. But Koschei.

He was so caught up in the moment, he didn't even register the sound of footsteps until they were directly behind him. Expecting to see Jack, it was quite a surprise to find Rose.

"You shouldn't be out here by yourself, Doctor," she scolded lightly as she took his hand.

The Doctor shrugged. "Thought it best."

Rose watched the funeral pyre continue to burn. "He loved you, you know," she said quietly.

The Doctor frowned. "Sorry?"

"There were times, when he was in my mind, that I could see into his as well. He loved you. That was clear. You were his best friend. The only person in the Academy to really accept him for him. The things they did to him Doctor..." She stopped and shivered. "In the end, he was really just a messed up little kid. I'm still mad at him, but, you know what? I think I feel sorry for him more than I hate him. I don't mind that you need to mourn him, Doctor. He was a Time Lord, and for a brief moment of time you weren't the last anymore. I'm sorry things turned out they way they did."

The Doctor pulled Rose closer and placed a forceful kiss on her forehead. "I may be the last Time Lord but I'm not alone. Thank you, Rose."

* * *

The next morning, Jack made a special request. "I was hoping we could head back to Cardiff today and perhaps I could have a little alone time with Rose?"

"Yes to Cardiff," the Doctor agreed as he began setting the controls, "and you'll have to ask Rose herself about the alone time."

"I'd love it!" Rose said with a smile. She knew exactly why Jack was asking for alone time. She had just spoke with him minutes before about something she wanted to and she needed his help. After a fairly smooth landing in Cardiff, Jack grabbed Rose's hand and pulled out the door shouting, "Meet you at Roald Dahl Plass in four hours!"

The Doctor turned to his remaining companion. "Right then Martha Jones, I guess it's just you and me."

* * *

"Can I ask you something?" Martha asked out of nowhere. She and the Doctor had just returned from grabbing some food and were now waiting at Roald Dahl Plass for Jack and Rose.

"Of course you can," the Doctor answered immediately.

"Does it ever bother you how close Jack and Rose are?"

He took a deep breath. "If you had asked me that in my last regeneration, right after we met the Captain, I would say absolutely. But now... Jack proved himself to me, several times in fact, that he would always protect her. He cares about Rose almost as much as I do. And while he's from the fifty-first century, and he's immortal, he's still human. And Rose is _so _human. She can talk to him about things she's not comfortable talking to me about."

Martha raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What are you on about? She's tells you everything!"

"No she doesn't," he said with a chuckle. "And that's okay. I'm an alien, Martha. My companions always seem to forget that until they realise that I don't react the same way to things that they do. Jack was her confidant. And I, stupidly, took that away from her."

"She had her mum though and that friend she's mentioned..."

"Mickey Smith," he clarified. "And, yes, she did have them for a while. And then we met you," he smiled, "on the Moon."

She shook her head and told him, "Yeah, but I don't think I was ever the confidant she needed. I think she's adapted more than you give her credit for. She's more than just human now, you know."

He sighed. "Trust me, Martha. I know." Suddenly he felt Jack's presence behind him. He turned around and was surprised to not see Rose.

Jack cleared his throat and gave them a reassuring smile. "My Lord and Lady," he said grandly. "May I now introduce Dame Rose Tyler," he finished with sweeping step to the side.

The Doctor felt both his hearts begin to race as he took in the site before him. It was Rose. His Rose. She was wearing tight fitting jean trousers with a TARDIS blue jumper which seemed to be brand new. She was still a bit thin, but the Doctor knew she would fill out to her normal healthy weight soon. The most wonderful thing though was her hair. She had obviously had Jack take her to a salon so she could get it just right. And, oh, she looked beautiful. She had cut it so it rested just at her shoulders and she had dyed her hair back to blonde. This time she went with a more natural color, leaning towards a honey tone.

"Did you miss me?" Rose asked with a tongue in teeth smile.

Instead of answering her with words, the Doctor took the necessary steps forward and kissed her soundly.

Martha blushed at the passion they were showing and averted her eyes, but, Jack showed no such embarrassment and instead watched them openly and proudly. After a few minutes though he decided to break it up or move it to the TARDIS.

"Hey now, how come I never get any of that?" he asked loudly, and with a pout, causing the pair to end their embrace.

"Buy him a drink first," Rose answered breathlessly.

"Or dye your hair blonde," Martha teased.

"Been there, done that. _So_ not my color," he told her in all seriousness.

* * *

The group continued to laugh and joke, enjoying their time together, before they finally settled into a comfortable silence as they observed their surroundings.

"Time was, every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you," Martha said reverently.

"Good," the Doctor responded.

Rose laughed. "Yeah, don't need more groups like LINDA popping up now do we?"

Jack sighed and leaned over to kiss the top of Rose's head. "Back to work," he told them sadly before climbing under the railing they were leaning against.

"I really don't mind, though. Come with us," the Doctor offered, knowing how much it would mean to Rose.

"Rose made the same offer earlier and like I told her, I had plenty of time to think that past year, the year that never was, and I kept thinking about that team of mine. Like you said, Doctor, responsibility."

"Defending the Earth. Can't argue with that." Then, before Jack could walk away, he reached across Rose and grabbed Jack's wrist.

"Hey, I need that!" Jack claimed as the Doctor began to use the sonic screwdriver on his vortex manipulator.

"I can't have you walking around with a time travelling teleport. You could go anywhere... twice. The second time to apologise."

Rose giggled. "And then back for a third to do it all over again!"

"And what about me?" Jack asked when the Doctor had finished. "Can you fix that? Will I ever be able to die?"

"Nothing I can do. You're an impossible thing, Jack," the Time Lord told him.

Jack laughed and said, "Been called that before."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Rose said quietly.

"Nothing to apologise for, sweetheart," he told her while pulling her in for a hug. "You didn't want me to die. How could I be mad about that?" He pulled away and gave a salute to the Doctor and Martha. "Sir. Ma'am." He started to walk off but suddenly stopped and turned back around. "But, I keep wondering. What about aging? Because I can't die but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know? What happens if I live for a million years?"

"I really don't know," the Doctor answered with a hint of amusement.

"Okay, vanity. Sorry. Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency. They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me." He shrugged and started walking away. "Huh. I'll see you."

The Doctor, Rose, and Martha all stared at one another in shock.

"No," the Doctor denied.

"It can't be!" Martha said with a laugh.

Rose felt tears stinging her eyes. It suddenly made perfect sense to her as she remembered the Face of Boe making her promise to "never give up on the Doctor" and then telling her she was "worth fighting for."

* * *

As they made their way back to the TARDIS, Martha asked if she could go visit her family now. She knew it would be rough but it must be done. The Doctor agreed and landed her back on the very day they had left, and gave Martha instructions on the story her family should give to the UNIT officials who would, undoubtedly, have questions. Thankfully, the Doctor still had a close contact with the agency as was able to arrange it for there to be no mention of himself or Rose.

* * *

"Everything alright?" Rose asked from her place on the jump seat.

"Yep. Martha's just visiting with her family now."

"Good. She'll need some time with them."

"Agreed," he answered as he sat next to her and draped his arm over her shoulder.

"Although, while I'm still a bit nervous about getting back out there... I'm pretty excited too!" Rose said with glee. "It's been too long since we've had a proper adventure."

The Doctor smirked. "Rose Tyler, you never cease to amaze me. Where should we go next then? Perhaps give Martha the choice?" Whatever Rose was going to say next was cut off by Martha entering the TARDIS. The Doctor popped up and began setting the controls on the console. "Right then, off we go. The open road. Rose is itching for an adventure. There is a burst of starfire right now over the coast of Meta Sigmafolio. Oh, the sky is like oil on water. Fancy a look? Or back in time. We could, I don't know, Charles the Second? Henry the Eighth. I know. What about Agatha Christie? I'd love to meet Agatha Christie. I bet she's brilliant." He stopped when he noticed the solemn look gracing Martha's face. "Okay," he told her.

Rose stood and made her way to the Doctor's side. "Okay, what?"

"I just can't," Martha said, her voice laced with emotion.

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah."

"Spent all these years training to be a doctor. Now I've got people to look after. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated. I can't leave them."

Rose gave an understanding smile and said, "Of course you can't, Martha."

"Thank you. Martha Jones, you saved the world," the Doctor proclaimed as he hugged his now former companion.

She grinned proudly. "Yes, I did. I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best to you two, but you know what? I am good. You going to be all right? she asked the Time Lord.

"Always." He grabbed Rose's hand. "Yeah."

Martha turned her attention to Rose. "And you?"

Rose just nodded as she pulled her friend in for a hug. "I'll miss you!" she cried.

"I'll miss you too," Martha said before pulling away and wiping her eyes. "Right then. Bye." She started to make her way out the door but then ran back inside. "Cause the thing is, you two are the most amazing people I've ever met. You fit together so seamlessly. You're the Doctor and Rose, in the TARDIS. Just as it should be."

"Is this going somewhere?" the Doctor asked, confused.

Rose elbowed him and whispered, "Rude."

"Yes! See the thing is, you're not The Doctor and Rose... and Martha. That's just not how it works. Because, I can't promise my forever and if I don't get out now I might never leave. So this is me, getting out. Now, I have Rose's number and if I call, actually, _when _I call, you'd better come running. Got it?" Martha finished, looking pointedly at the Doctor.

"Got it," he told her.

"We'll be here, Martha," Rose agreed.

"I'll see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Martha said with a cheeky grin before exiting the TARDIS.

The Doctor took a deep breath before finally moving to send his ship back into the vortex. He looked to Rose. The companion who promised him forever and intended on giving him that. Now there was only one important question he could think to ask her...

"Backward or forward?"

* * *

_**Coming Soon: Time Crash**_

**Please review! xoxo**


	34. Time Crash

**A/N: Well, everybody, this is the last chapter for The Old Team. Never fear though! After this there will be a small interlude story that will be a rewrite of Voyage of the Damned and then after that will be my sequel called Just As It Should Be, which is a rewrite of series 4. I have to say, the response to this story has been absolutely amazing. I was really nervous to start The Old Team because there are so many wonderful versions of series 3 with Rose out there. You guys truly rock. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you to my ever faithful followers, to those of you who have added this story to your favorites, and to every single one of you who have reviewed this story. I tried my hardest to respond to you all personally, but if I didn't, know that I truly appreciate the time you've taken to give me your thoughts on this story. Love you all. Allons-y!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or anything related. That goes to the BBC. *Some lines below are borrowed from the Children in Need special, Time Crash. Credit for those lines belong to their respective writers.***

* * *

_The Doctor took a deep breath before finally moving to send his ship back into the vortex. He looked to Rose. The companion who promised him forever and intended on giving him that. Now there was only one important question he could think to ask her..._

_"Backward or forward?"_

* * *

"How about-" Rose's words were cut off by a sharp pain in her heart. She grabbed her chest tightly as she started to gasp.

"Rose!" The Doctor ran over to his companion. "What's wrong?!" Suddenly alarms began blaring as the TARDIS began to spin out of control.

Rose clenched her eyes shut and begged the TARDIS to calm down. The ship sent her an image of what was happening, but, Rose couldn't quite understand why She was showing her the image of a man who looked like he was off to a cricket game.

When the TARDIS finally calmed, the Doctor stood from his place on the control room floor, and moved to help Rose stand. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

"I'm fine," she answered immediately. "Really. Check on the TARDIS. She feels different." She started blinking rapidly as her vision blurred.

The Doctor nodded and went to the console. "What was all that about, eh? Eh? What's your problem?"

Rose gasped as another man, the man the TARDIS sent her an image of, stood at the Doctor's side and said, "Right, just settle down now."

"Excuse me," the Doctor muttered when he accidentally bumped into the man.

"So sorry," he replied.

Rose couldn't believe that the Doctor wasn't reacting to what was happening. This was Donna all over again! Frustrated with his lack of acknowledgement, Rose called out, "Doctor!"

Both men stopped their work on the console and turned to her. "What?" they asked in unison.

Finally noticing the older gentlemen, the Doctor turned from Rose and faced the man on his left. "What?"

"What?" the other man practically squeaked. "Who are you?"

A huge grin spread across the Doctor's face. "Oh, brilliant. I mean, totally wrong. Big emergency, universe goes bang in five minutes, but, brilliant."

"I'm the Doctor," the other man claimed. "Who are you?"

Rose, feeling completely lost stepped forward. "I'm sorry, did you say you're the Doctor?"

"Yes, you are," Rose's Doctor answered as he continued to grin at the younger version of himself. "You are the Doctor."

"Yes, I am. I'm the Doctor," the other Time Lord placated.

"Oh, good for you, Doctor. Good for brilliant old you."

"Is there something wrong with you?"

"Find myself asking that question all the time," Rose injected.

The Doctor giggled as saw the look on his younger self's face. "Oh, there it goes! Look, Rose, the frowny face. I remember that one. Mind you, bit saggier than I ought to be. Hair's a bit greyer. That's because of me, though. The two of us together has shorted out the time differential. Should all snap back in place when we get you home. Be able to close that coat again. But never mind that. Look at you! The coat, the crickety cricket stuff, the stick of celery. Yeah. Brave choice, celery, but fair play to you. Not a lot of men can carry off a decorative vegetable."

"Shut up!" the other Doctor snapped. "There is something very wrong with my TARDIS, and I've got to do something about it very, very quickly, and it would help, it really would help if there wasn't some skinny idiot ranting, to his little blonde girlfriend, in my face about every single thing that happens to be in front of him!"

"See where you get the rudeness from," Rose whispered to her Doctor.

Sending her a wink, he said to the Time Lord in from of him, "Sorry... Doctor."

"Thank you," was the response given as the technically younger version of the Doctor turned to work on the console.

"Oh! The back of my head!"

"What?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's not something you see every day, is it, the back of your own head. Mind you, I can see why you wear a hat. I don't want to seem vain, but could you keep that on?"

Rose had no idea what was happening and it was clear that her version of the Doctor was too excited to try and figure out what had clearly gone wrong. It's not like past versions of himself were always found roaming about the control room. Deciding it was time to get their attention, she cleared her throat. "S'cuse me, Doctors, but, I think you should-"

The younger Doctor cut her off with, "What have you two done to my TARDIS? You've changed the desktop theme, haven't you? What's this one, coral?"

The older Doctor shrugged. "Well-"

"It's worse than the leopard skin."

Rose eyebrows shot up. "Leopard skin?" she mouthed to her Doctor.

He wiggled his own eyebrows in response before seeing his younger self put on his half moon spectacles. "Oh, and out they come, the brainy specs. You don't even need them. You just think they make you look a bit clever."

"I knew it!" Rose exclaimed before rapidly blinking again, her vision was still blurry and almost doubled. Just then, and alarm started blaring.

Both Doctor's moved about the console as the one dressed for cricket said, "That's an alert, level five, indicating a temporal collision. It like two TARDISes have merged, but there's definitely only one TARDIS present. It's like two time zones or more at the heart of the TARDIS. That's a paradox that could blow a hole in the space time continuum the size of-" He stopped when the Doctor in blue showed him the monitor. "Well, actually, the exact size of Belgium. That's a bit undramatic, isn't it? Belgium?"

"Explains the blurry vision," Rose mumbled to herself as her Doctor pulled on his sonic screwdriver.

"Need this?" he offered.

"No," the other Doctor declined. "I'm fine."

"Oh no, of course, you liked to go hands free, didn't you, like hey, I'm the Doctor. I can save the universe using a kettle and some string. And look at me, I'm wearing a vegetable.

Rose snickered.

The younger Doctor stepped forward and asked, "Who are you?"

"Take a look."

"Oh. Oh, no."

"Oh yes."

"You're... Oh, no."

"Here it comes. Yeah, yeah, I am."

"A fan."

"Yeah. What?!"

This time Rose laughed out loud. "Blimey! I think I like this you," she told her Doctor as she continued to giggle.

Another alarm on the console started beeping and the other Doctor moved to fix it. "This is bad. Two minutes to Belgium."

"What do you mean, a fan? I'm not just a fan, I'm you!" the older Doctor said with an obvious pout.

"Okay, you're my biggest fan. Look, its perfectly understandable. I go zooming around space and time, saving planets, fighting monsters and being well, let's be honest, pretty sort of marvellous," he threw a sly smile at Rose, "so naturally now and then people notice me. Start up their little groups. That LINDA lot. Are you one of them? How did you get in here? Can't have you lot knowing where I live."

"Listen to me. I'm you, I'm you. I'm you with a new face. Check out this bone structure, Doctor, because one day you're going to be shaving it." He grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her over. "And see this girl?" He pointed to her face. " Rose Tyler and one day you'll get to snog her!"

Rose blushed but was saved from whatever the other Doctor's reaction might have been from a bell tolling. "The cloister bell!" he stated.

"Right on time. That's my cue."

"In a minute we're going to create a black hole strong enough to swallow the entire universe!" the other Doctor cried.

"Yeah, that's my fault, actually," the Doctor in blue admitted. "I was rebuilding the TARDIS, forgot to put the shields back up. Your TARDIS and my TARDIS, well the same TARDIS at different points in its own timestream collided and whoo, there you go, end of the universe, butterfingers. But don't worry, I know exactly how this all works out. Watch. Rose, come hold down this lever right her. Now, venting the thermobuffer, drawing the Helmic regulator, and just to finish off, let's fry those Zeiton crystals."

His younger self grabbed his arms and told him, "You'll blow up the TARDIS."

"No, I won't. I haven't. Besides, Rose is connected to the TARDIS. I would never do something that would harm her."

"Who told you that?"

"You told me that."

"Doctor," Rose shouted. "I think something's about to happen."

"Hold on!" her Doctor responded.

Rose gasped as her vision returned in perfect clarity. "Whatever you did, I think it worked."

"Supernova and black hole at the exact same instant," the younger Doctor said.

The Doctor in blue nodded. "The explosion cancels out the implosion."

"Pressure remains constant."

"Brilliant."

"Far too brilliant. I've never met anyone else who could fly the TARDIS like that."

The Doctor moved back to his companion's side and said, "Sorry, mate, you still haven't."

"Just wait till I learn how," Rose told them both.

"You didn't have time to work all that out. Even I couldn't do it," the younger Doctor continued to harp.

"I didn't work it out," the older Doctor told him. "I didn't have to."

"You remembered."

"Because you will remember."

"You remembered being me watching you doing that. You already knew what to do because I saw you do it."

"Wibbly wobbly..."

"Timey wimey!" both Doctor exclaimed enthusiastically.

Rose had to stop and shake her head. If this wasn't proof that her Doctor was the same man, despite regeneration, she ddidn't know what would be. Just then she heard a chime and could feel the two time ships beginning to separate. "Sorry to interrupt, boys, but the TARDISes are separating now." She moved forward to look closely at the younger version of her Doctor. "Time's up," she told him as she adjusted his jacket.

"Who exactly are you?" he asked her in wonder. "You're clearly more than just a companion but I would never-"

"Things change," Rose said coyly. "Don't worry. It'll still be a while till we meet."

"I very much look forward to that day." He grabbed her hand and placed a gentle kiss upon it.

"Me too," she replied with a large tongue in teeth grin.

Rose's current Doctor grabbed her and tried not to feel too jealous as he pulled her along to help him send the younger version of himself back. "Back to long ago. Where are you now?" he asked. "Nyssa and Tegan? Cybermen and Mara and Time Lords in funny hats and the Master? Oh, he just showed up again, same as ever."

"Oh no, really?" the Doctor in beige asked. "Does he still have that rubbish beard?"

"No, no beard this time. Well, a wife."

Rose snorted.

Suddenly the younger Doctor began to turn translucent. "Oh, I seem to be off. What can I say? Thank you, Doctor."

"Thank you," the older Doctor nodded.

"I'm very welcome," he replied right before vanishing.

It was then Rose noticed something sitting on the console. "Doctor, you're hat!"

The Doctor quickly flipped the switch that would bring his former self back. When the Time Lord dressed for cricket returned, he handed him the hat and said, "You know, I love being you. Back when I first started at the very beginning, I was always trying to be old and grumpy and important, like you do when you're young. And then I was you, and it was all dashing about and playing cricket and my voice going all squeaky when I shouted. I still do that, the voice thing. I got that from you. Oh, and the trainers, and," he pulled out his own brainy specs and put them on, "snap. Because you know what, Doctor? You were my Doctor."

The younger Doctor lifted his hat in acknowledgment. "To days to come."

"All my love to long ago," the younger Doctor responded.

"Wait!" Rose cried before the other Doctor could disappear. She ran forward and clutched his lapels. "One day you're going to meet me and save my life and I eventually return the favor. You're going to ask me to come with and I'll say no."

He frowned. "You say no? Then how are you here?"

"Come back," she told him. "Come back and tell me it also travels in time."

"I never usually ask twice you know, but, I suppose you must be worth it," he bent forward and kissed her cheek, "Rose Tyler," With that he completely disappeared.

After he was gone, Rose felt her Doctor's arm hug her from behind. "Cheeky woman," he whispered in her ear.

"I always wondered what made you come back." She giggled.

Suddenly the other Doctor's voice echoed in the control room saying, "Oh, Doctor, remember to put your shields up." But just as the he pushed the button to do that, there was the sound of a ship's horn as the prow of a large vessel crashed into the control room, causing Rose and the Doctor to both fall backwards.

"What? What?!" the Doctor yelled.

Rose picked up a life belt and said in shock, "Oh my god." The Doctor grabbed the life belt from her and saw that it read **TITANIC.**

"What?!"

* * *

_**To Be Continued in The Old Team's Voyage.**__ (A rewrite of Voyage of the Damned.)_

**Please review!**


	35. AN

The prologue to The Old Team's Voyage has been posted.

Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this!


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